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Guidelines for Papers Or Articles Guidelines for Papers or Articles Title TESOL Symposium on Teaching English to Younger Learners (USA/Mexico) Abstract Audience: ELT educators worldwide, especially in the U.S. and Mexico Type of paper: presentations Overview of the symposium: The TESOL Symposium on Teaching English to Younger Learners was held on November 9, 2002, at Southwestern College, Chula Vista, California, USA. Designed with ESL and EFL perspectives in mind, the program was developed by ESOL professionals in the United States and Mexico. The featured speakers were Mary Lou McCloskey, Myriam Monterrubio, and Catherine Snow. Rosalia Salinas led the closing session. Abstract for each paper: Seven Instructional Principles for Teaching Young Learners of English Mary Lou McCloskey, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Current research—combining both classic principles and recent findings—on how language is learned, characteristics of young learners, and how brains process language provide important theoretical basis to teachers of young learners of English. This presentation will summarize key aspects of this research into seven instructional principles of an activity-based, communicative model for teaching English to young learners. Examples of classroom structures and strategies that demonstrate these principles in action will be depicted. Mary Lou McCloskey is a faculty member of applied linguistics and ESL at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia USA, where she also earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership. She holds a M.S. in early childhood education from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York USA. Some of her other professional experience includes teacher educator and consultant to programs on ESOL curriculum and teacher development, designer and teacher of Georgia ESOL endorsement courses, and curriculum development of Pre-K–12 ESOL programs. Mary Lou McCloskey’s published works include coauthor of professional texts on working with school-age learners of English, such as Voices in Literature, Making Connections and Teaching Language, Literature and Culture. The Role of Literacy in Teaching English to Younger Learners Catherine Snow, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Many ESOL professionals argue that young learners of English do better if a) they are taught initially to read in their first languages or, if that is not feasible, b) they are taught to read in English only after some level of English oral proficiency is achieved. The presentation will explore what the research basis is for these recommendations and what they mean about how literacy experiences should be incorporated into the curriculum for young English Language Learners (ELLs). Another question this approach to literacy instruction for ELLs raises is the level of English language proficiency younger learners need before they start formal reading instruction. Catherine Snow is the Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from McGill and worked for several years in the linguistics department of the University of Amsterdam. Her research interests include children’s language development as influenced by interaction with adults in home and preschool settings, literacy development as related to language skills and as influenced by home and school factors, and issues related to the acquisition of English oral and literacy skills by language minority children. Some of her published works include Pragmatic Development, a book on language development that she co-authored with Anat Ninio, and Unfulfilled Expectations: Home and School Influences on Literacy, a book on literacy development that she co-authored with W. Barnes, J. Chandler, I. Goodman & L. Hemphil. She has served as co-director of the Child Language Data Exchange System, editor of Applied Psycholinguistics, board member at the Center for Applied Linguistics, and member of the National Academy of Education and the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Establishing a Research Agenda on Schooling for Language Minority Children. She chaired the NRC Committee on Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, which produced a report that has been widely adopted as a basis for reform of reading instruction and professional development. How To Get the Young Ones Talking Myriam Monterrubio, Centro de Capacitacion a Maestros de Ingles Note: this paper is not available in the TESOL Resource Center Get The Young Ones Talking! Language assumes meaning for young children when it is related to sensory experiences, and it becomes even more meaningful, when associated with situations in which children themselves play an important role. Using pictures, symbols and Language Mind Maps the teacher can introduce new subjects to the class, and get the younger students speaking correctly, understanding grammar in a visual and in a more dynamic way and to develop their critical thinking skills. Myriam Monterrubio De Sierra is owner and director at Centro de Capacitacion a Maestros de Ingles, where she teaches teacher education courses. She is also an academic consultant with Macmillan- Heinemann ELT. She is a certified English teacher from the Instituto Anglo Mexicano and Bell College, England and studied psychology at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, specializing in child psychology. While, her work experience ranges from kindergarten to business level, she specializes in teaching English at the pre-K to primary school levels. She has given numerous seminars in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean and is co-author of Macmillan’s Jigsaw series. Her other published works include Animal Crackers, Small Talk, and Sing in English from Editorial Delti. Closing Session: Rosalia Salinas is Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at the San Diego County Office of Education. Her extensive experience in the development and implementation of programs for English Language learners includes classroom teacher, site administrator and curriculum coordinator. She is part of the coordinating committee for Californians Together, a statewide advocacy group that promotes the rights of English Learners and their parents. She had also worked on several task forces, such as Superintendent of Delaine Eastin’s Reading Task Force and Hispanic Advisory Committee, the San Diego Latino Educational Summit, and the Task Force on English Standards for graduation for the California Education Roundtable. She holds an M.A. from San Diego State University specializing in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Multiethnic Studies. .
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