NIFL-ASSESSMENT 2005: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1145] Re: Spanish GED

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From: andresmuro@aol.com
Date: Fri Jun 24 2005 - 11:28:44 EDT 

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From: andresmuro@aol.com
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1145] Re: Spanish GED
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My rational for Spanish GED are several:

1. people with strong native language academic skills can acquire 
second language academic skills much faster.

2. a person with only elementary education in another language is years 
away from a GED certificate in English.

3. ESL classes alone, in our experience, don't offer a significant 
outcome for students to stay focused in them, unless there is a very 
specific contextual reason for the students to acquire language skills. 
ESL leading to English GED takes way to long and students get 
frustrated and drop out.

4. With a GED certificate, in any language, students can obtain 
employment, enroll in college, take academic ESL classes in college, 
etc.

5. Students with a Spanish GED certificate do very well in college 
level academic english classes

6. Getting a HS diploma is very prestigious in Mexico and other latin 
american countries. A diploma within reach within a year or so is a 
very strong motivator for people to stay in school.

Note: as I said before, we don't have ABE funds for this, so we are not 
tied to the NRS nonesense. I hope that at some point, enough 
influential people realize that NRS is a detriment to what we are 
trying to do. If we speak against it sufficiently, maybe we can get 
that taken away.

Andres

Please take a look at my artwork: www.geocities.com/andresmuro/art.html

-----Original Message-----
From: AWilder106@aol.com
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov>
Sent: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 08:35:48 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1135] Spanish GED

   I am interested in understanding the thinking behind Andres's use of  
the
Spanish GED, rather than switching his students to English.

Did the Committee discuss a Spanish language track for literacy?

In our state, Massachusetts, there is a need for many more ESL classes 
for
immigrants;  I have also heard (have not verified) that ESL is a health 
risk
factor.  I understand that our national immigrant policies are chaotic, 
and I
wonder how this chaos may influence decisions made for descriptive 
literacy
assessment, specifically the NAAL.

Thanks.

Andrea

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