“Go All In and Bet on the Potential of your Advanced ELL’s with an English Language Transition Class” Western Nevada College Adult Basic Education Angela Schield March 3, 2009

Education Path for Adult English Language Learners

Course Objectives The English Language Transition class (ELT hereafter) was instituted to help mainstream advanced ELL’s into academic classes, certification programs, or to prepare for the GED. The objectives of the ELT class are: To reinforce and add to the language skills acquired in ESL To encourage interaction between ELL’s and native English- speaking students To establish skills and strategies necessary for academic success To introduce students to the campus and make them familiar with the resources available to them To help students feel more comfortable and confident in a college classroom To increase self-confidence in each of the four learning modalities; reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the academic level

Placing the First Bet The first ELT class began in August 2007 Course title: ELT 001: Skills for Academic Success Students who scored 230 or above on their most recent CASAS reading assessment were invited to attend Over 40 students showed up for the registration, and 40 of them registered for the class.

How the Class is Structured Structured as a “mock” college class Congruent with the academic semester Class is free, but students are required to purchase their textbook and other materials needed for the class Students receive a syllabus on the first day of class. Students earn grades for their attendance, participation, and the quality of their work in the class.

Making the Grade Students who earn an A (93% or higher) in the class receive a scholarship toward one 3- credit course at WNC Scholarships paid from “unrestricted funds” account Students can apply their scholarship toward any class of their choice. Students are eligible to receive the scholarship only once, but may repeat the class once more if they choose.

Adopted Textbooks August 2007: Renn, Diana. Strategies for College Success: A Study Skills Guide. University of Michigan, January 2008: Sanabria, Kim & Carlos. Academic Encounters American Studies. Cambridge, August 2008: Anderson, Debra J. College Culture, Student Success. Pearson Longman, (Bundled with MyWritingLab) January 2009: Ochoa Flores, Kathy. What Every ESL Student Should Know. Michigan Press, 2008.

Class Data

CASAS Reading Assessment

CASAS Writing Assessment

“My Writing Lab” Evaluation

Grammar/Writing Improved with “My Writing Lab”

Reading Level Evaluation

Textbook Evaluation