Incorporating ESL into your Library Part 1: An introduction By: Natalie Dunaway, CE Coordinator, MLC

WHAT IS ESL? English as a Second Language May also see EFL= English as a Foreign Language ELL- English Language Learner TEFL/TESL/TESOL= Teaching English as a Foreign Language/Teaching English as a Second Language/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Teaching English to people whose native language is not English

WHAT IS ESL? ESL and Education: Mississippi: The number of ESL students in Mississippi is steadily growing According to Mississippi Today, between 2013 and 2016, the number of ESL students in Mississippi public schools has grown by 47%, from 7,739 to and estimated 11,404. While most of these students are native Spanish speakers, there are many other languages represented across the state. https://mississippitoday.org/2016/08/02/non-english-speaking-students-on-the-rise-in-miss/

What does Mississippi Speak? 67,259 Spanish 3,676 Native North American 3,269 German As of 2016, the total household population age five and over for MS was 2,796,802 Out of this number, 109,238 reported as speaking another language besides English at home. Of that, approximately 41,942 people reported speaking English less than “very well”, or less than proficient. For the sake of scale, that equals out to over 750 people per library system. 3,884 Chinese 3,889 French https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/state-profiles/state/language/MS 6,981 Vietnamese

Assisting English language Learners Keep in mind that your ELL patrons will come to with different experiences Keep in mind non-verbal cues Signage- Is it clear and easy to understand? Demonstrate vs. explaining Keep in mind the use of jargon (Collection; Stacks; Branch; Fine; etc). https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizens hip/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/PDFs/Assistin g_ELLs.pdf

Kenton Library, Portland Oregon

Libraries: The community ambassador How to incorporate ESL into your library: Cultural exchange hour Citizenship corner Book club Tutor time Traditional, classroom style class Online language learning resources Collection development

Shoreline Community College, Washington

LIBRARIES: THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR So, how do we get people through the door? Word of mouth Utilize businesses Translate flyers, if possible Look at other library programs Overall, be sure to create an ELL friendly environment Creating an ESL space: Understanding your resources Making the most of what you have You can always build more later Creating an ESL space is not JUST about helping patrons understand English, but how to navigate an English-speaking environment

Libraries: The community ambassador These are a few testimonials from libraries who offer ESL services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjtIFeFGOmA King County Library System- Talk time and citizenship classes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCOkBZt0wsU Squamish Public Library- ESL story time for preschoolers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfEbLWPeF24 San Jose Public Library- ESL Conversation Club https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCo-JwlrktI Watauga Public Library- ESL programs Things to keep in mind: Content is adjustable – Do what you can Mimic! Switch it up!

Libraries: The community ambassador http://www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/partnering-serve-immigrants-and-esl- learners http://www.scottsdalelibrary.org/services/esl https://www.livingstonlibrary.org/esl/ https://cranstonlibrary.org/esl-citizenship-programs

Why does this matter? Keeping up to date with materials Keeps our communities up to date Develops our communities Goal: Personal Agency Why does this matter?

A little bit of theory Language Acquisition: What is language acquisition? Basically, how we acquire and develop language Learning a second language poses different developmental stages than the ones we experience when learning our native language Age, beliefs, experiences, personality, etc. all determine how a second language is absorbed and utilized by the learner or student

A LITTLE BIT OF THEORY Styles of Language Teaching Cooperative Language Learning/Teaching: An approach to teaching that maximizes the use of cooperative activities. Think pair work and group activities, where learners can develop their language skills by working (or cooperating) with one another. Cooperative Language learning fosters cooperation instead of competition and provides social scaffolding to learners’ interactions. A byproduct of cooperative language learning is that, as learners become more comfortable conversing with one another in the second language, more specific and contextual questions interactions result.

A LITTLE BIT OF THEORY Styles of Language Teaching Content Based Learning/Teaching When language is learned through teaching/learning other content. For example, when someone learns language through reading a news article, or watching a TV program, or reading their history textbook. Content Based Learning is popular in immersion classes, as well as language classes aimed at achieving native fluency, as it forces learners to understand the terminology, grammar, and overall message of the content they are trying to understand.

A LITTLE BIT OF THEORY Styles of Language Learning Task Based Language Learning/Teaching When language is learned through completing a task or series of tasks. Provides a meaningful context to the language learners, as you can have them complete tasks relevant to their goals. Consider tasks appropriate to the learners’ experience, knowledge, language level, etc. Examples of tasks can include but certainly are not limited to: how to make a phone call; how to order food at a restaurant; how to fill out a job application; how to change language settings on a computer; how to buy a phone, etc. Host a small cooking class Job application sessions/Mock Interviews

Let’s recap Start by thinking how your library accommodates patrons who are non-native English speakers Signage Displays Bringing ESL into your library does not necessarily mean incorporating an ESL class into programming, but it certainly can. Develop collection materials Develop display materials Cooking classes Craft classes Book clubs

Contact Information: Natalie Dunaway Continuing Education Coordinator, MLC ndunaway@mlc.lib.ms.us 601-432-4057 Credits: Google Images Lightbown, Patsy M., & Nina Spada. How Languages are Learned. Fourth Ed. Oxford University Press, 2013. Richards, Jack C., and Theodore S. Rodgers. Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Second Ed. Cambridge University Press, 2001.