The Summer Issue of the COABE Journal has several articles of interest. "A Survey of Writing Instruction in Adult ESL Programs: Are Teaching Practices Meeting Adult Learner Needs?" by Rebeca Fernandez, Joy Kreeft Peyton and Kirsten Schaetzel, reports the results of a survey of over 400 teachers of L2 learners in adult education across the United States about their teaching of writing. Not surprisingly, I found that most of the comments from teachers and the implications from the results also applied to ABE students. Do you agree? I quote:
"If we allow our survey results to inform future directions in the field of teaching adult English learners, two immediate needs emerge. First, more needs to be done to prepare students for the writing demands of college and careers...Second, in order to help adult ESL teachers incorporate argumentative/persuasive writing and sound writing pedagogy at all levels, they will clearly need professional development and opportunities to collaborate."
After you review the article, please comment on one or both of the following questions:
1. What listed practices do you find most or least helpful to prepare your native or non-native speakers of English for both types of writing: (1) general and specific academic writing, and (2) professional writing?
2. Professional Development (PD) was often mentioned as a critical need to help improve the types of writing instruction in adult education. If you are an instructor, do you agree that more and better PD is sorely missing in our field? If so, what topics and what type of delivery would you recommend? What incentives might encourage instructors to participate in improved PD opportunities?