EFF Teaching/Learning Activity

EFF Teaching/Learning Activity: Reading Want Ads

Teaching/ Learner(s)’ Needs and Goals: Students have expressed a concern Learning Activity: about being able to find good, affordable housing. Using classified Reading Want Ads ads as a tool, students will locate and identify rental information that is important in evaluating the affordability of housing for their needs. Standard: Read With Activity: Students will read newspaper classified ads advertising Understanding apartments for rent in their community. They will identify the necessary information to answer questions that they had previously EFF Role Map: formulated in class and determine if any necessary information is Parent/Family missing. Member Target Standard: Read With Understanding Common Activity: Gather, Analyze and Activity Narrative: Use Information This teaching and learning activity was part of a larger activity dealing with housing. We began with a series of questions: "Describe your Setting: Community home. How big is it? What color is it? How did you find your home?" College This opened up a discussion about the different resources students use for finding housing and led into a discussion about the classified Type of Program: ads. Students expressed some of their frustrations when trying to ESL read the classified ads.

Learner Level: High We then had a more focused conversation about classified ads: Intermediate to High “What are the classified ads? What do you already know about the Advanced classified ads? What do you not understand when using the classified ads?” Students discussed their experiences using the classified ads Time Frame: two to buy things. They talked about the importance of being able to understand the language of the classified ads. sessions Next, we talked specifically about housing: "Describe your "dream house". What would it look like? Where would it be located?” This opened up a discussion about vocabulary related to housing. From there, we discussed vocabulary and abbreviations used in classified ads for rental housing. Students then determined what information would be important to know when looking for rental housing.

I assigned students a homework assignment to write questions to find out the information that they had previously determined to be important when looking for rental housing. They were informed that we would use these questions in an exercise to practice reading classified ads for rental housing.

The class discussed their experience with the homework assignment. They talked about what other information might be important to know when looking for rental housing. This led to a

Reading Want Ads discussion about American culture and the protocols and expectations when renting in the United States.

When reading the classified ads for this activity, students looked for answers to the questions that they had previously formulated in class. Then they recorded their answers on a student- generated worksheet.

How the Activity Addresses the Standard:

Components of How the Activity Addresses Each: Performance Determine the Students have identified finding affordable reading purpose. housing as the purpose for reading in previous learning activities. They have also identified what information would be important to know when looking for rental housing and have formulated questions to find out this information (such as monthly rent, deposit required, are pets allowed, services available, location). Select reading Students will need to select reading strategies strategies to be able to find the information that answers appropriate to the the student-generated questions (i.e. scanning - purpose. when looking at classified ads section titles, reading for details - looking for specific information such as amount of deposit and services included in the rent). Monitor Students will search for information to answer comprehension and the questions and record their responses on a adjust reading student-generated worksheet. Students will strategies. adjust their reading strategies as necessary to locate the required information in the classified ads or to identify missing information needed to answer questions. Analyze the Students will record the answers to the information and questions on a student-generated worksheet. reflect on its They will determine what important information underlying meaning. is given in the ad and what important information is missing. Integrate it with prior Students will use previous experience with knowledge to classified ads and the vocabulary/abbreviations address reading used in rental ads to find the answers to the purpose. questions and determine what important information is missing from the ads.

Reading Want Ads Evidence of Use of the Standard in Carrying Out the Activity: The discussions that occurred throughout this activity helped students to better understand what they need to know and be able to do in order to find affordable housing. During these discussions, students had opportunities to reflect upon what they already knew about rental housing and classified ads. These concepts were compiled in lists that I generated based on this dialogue: “What we need to know ... (when buying or renting)” and “Vocabulary”. Students then answered a question sheet to check their understanding of the vocabulary and abbreviations used in classified ads for housing.

Students talked about some new understandings that resulted from the question “What important information is missing?” One is permitted to ask for more information and one can question the information that is given.

The homework assignment of student-generated questions as well as the completed worksheets (see attached) were a check for how well students understood what is important to look for when searching for housing, what information could be found in the classified ads that they read, and what more they needed to know or request.

Teacher/Learner Reflections on Process/Results of Activity:

With this activity, we started out talking about classified ads which led into many interesting discussions related to American culture and experiences students had had in the U.S.

The concept of "What important information is missing?" was a bit difficult for the class at first. I think that the idea, that they could request more information and question the information given, was a new idea culturally for many of the students.

Also, it was interesting to hear the students discuss their "dream house". This discussion led to another discussion about goals and is it even possible to attain our dreams.

One thing I enjoy about teaching/learning activities of this type is that everything is related. We move easily from one standard to another and students are able to see how the standards relate to each other. For example, a discussion on rental housing easily leads to more discussion about speaking so others can understand, negotiation, planning, problem solving, etc.

As I work with advanced ESL students, I find that these students are already very capable of performing the skills required for many of the standards. At times they become somewhat frustrated because they already know the process of how to "Read For Understanding" or "Learn Through Research". They want "more English". The trick for me has been finding a way to create activities so that students feel they are getting enough grammar and English. In the pre-learning activities, I include exercises in grammar, punctuation, pronunciation, etc. With each activity, I include concepts related to American culture. When I develop activities in this way, it is much more successful and meaningful to my students.

Reading Want Ads How this Activity Addresses Key Principles in the EFF Quality Model:

Purposeful and Transparent: While working with a group of students who had expressed the broad goal of wanting to learn “more English”, the instructor made sure that this goal was integrated within the classroom activities. The teacher and students engaged in discussions about their concerns/issues that led to the creation of the teaching/learning activity. Students used the standard and its components of performance in order to carry out the activity.

Contextual: The instructor and the students developed the activity together in order to address concerns expressed by the students. During the activity, students were able to “practice English” in many ways: speak so others can understand, listen actively, read with understanding, and convey ideas in writing.

Constructivist: Through the use of dialogue, the teacher was able to determine what students already knew about the activity. The instructor used further discussions, pre-activities, and the teaching/learning activity as opportunities for students to build on their knowledge and skills and reflect upon their learning.

Reading Want Ads Answer the following questions for three different want ads and record your answers on the table provided.

Apartment #1 Apartment #2 Apartment #3 Rent

Deposit

Apartment Size

Services the renter must pay

Services included in the rent

Location

Amenities

Furnished or Unfurnished

Other information

Missing information

Reading Want Ads