Vol 08 No 4 TESL Reporter

              teaching english as a second language
vol 8 no 4

laie hawaii

summer 1975

WHAT

IS
by

GRADE DR CHAN IN R CHAN ohan

donna ilyin

drohan

first presented at northern university of illinois what grade is dr chan in was wriitttte n to present to adult educators and me consultants in local and state departments of education and federal regions

too often attempts are made to place
highly educated non english speakers into childrens school grades this system is humiliating and degrading it seems rather foolish to say that dr chan is in the first

grade because he cant read or speak english yet reading grade levels are important to the federal and state government when evaluating adult basic education programs they are important to employers when selecting minority workers for employment and they are important to dr chan and to his teachers when selecting reading materials after he has reached the intermediate and advanced courses in adult schools

CONTENTS
what grade is dr chan hi in by donna alyin f

jlyinpage
page

1 I

dialogues for elementary school second language

when dr chan can read well enough in english he can take adult tests which place him into those reading grade levels when he has the proficiency of an adult intermediate level student he can also take tests designed for foreign college students who are entering beginning courses often called L ELI or ALl giving him intensive english al IO

ale

learners by emilio G cortez a

page 4 page 6

adr l ldr

robert kaplan USC has informed me
in his

talk and listen by richard via
book review by steven goldsberry

that some ALI or ELI programs have students with nil proficiency in english

if those beginning courses are

page 7

area and scheduled when he can attend and if they are not too expensive he is indeed fortunate usually however dr chan has to attend a free adult program ESL class

TESL reporter texts and materials for those beginning for college work however he cannot take survival english classes for two plans and any of these tests if he has no english outlines see ESL structure outline los proficiency at all in adult program ESL angeles and master plan 1I SF I1 classes the beginning level classes as well as many of us believe it would be helpful the lower intermediate level class are often for the federal state and local programs called SURVIVAL ENGLISH when dr to refer to dr chans classes as seiq survival Se 1 sE chan has acquired survival english english 1 or 100 SE 2 or 200 SE 3 or 300 9 proficiency he can now take native speaker it really is much kinder and more rrealiisttic e eal s tests that will give him a grade level to say that dr chan is in level 100 or SE l1 or equivalency E he can now take college se II SE 100 than to ask for a grade equivalent that foreign born tests qualifying him for doesnt exist because dr chan cant read well beginning english classes enough to take a test in english to dehow long does it take for dr chan to monstrate his english reading grade show the local state and federal governit is especially more honest and rewarding ment that he can get a grade equivalency and for dr chan and for us to report that then show gains in grade levels as he 350 500 2 hours of instruction dr chan after 50 500 how long will it take continues to study has progressed to a proficiency level equal dr chan to qualify as a beginner in a to ESL 200 SE 2 or SE 200 whatever you college intensive english class for foreign want to call it dr chan still cant read well enough to take the test in english to show his donna ilyin presently a counselor grade or to become a college foreign student and teacher at alemany community beginner but he usually can read well enough college center has taught ESL to to take an ESL test to show his ESL level or 15 years adults for the last she has SE level also written tests and been a guest dr chans oral proficiency should also be lecturer and consultant in teacher evaluated since oral communication is she has an training and testing important for surviving and finding a job in MA in TEFL from san francisco the united states dr chan may have to state university previously she was work part time while he is learning english a vocational and resettlement counselor oral comprehension also aids reading for the national lutheran council we want dr chan to comprehension understand what he can decode not just really depends on many students it read a lot of words he cant understand in factors language proficiency study p 25 context neither dr chan nor any other and 26 adult beginning students on the ESL non english speaker should be forced average take anywhere from 500 to 1500 to take a native speaker test or a test for hours of instruction to reach this proficiency foreign college students until he can read and how should the federal programs evaluate understand english well enough to attempt dr chans progress when he is in those the test he shouldnt take a special ESL survival english classes how do teachers select materials and reading for dr chan 2this figure is an estimation based on athis are most courses when he is in those levels 1 testing research that I have done in Is same throughout the country the adult program ESL classes students in survival english just hit and miss with no junior high senior high and true beginning plan course outlines curriculum or special classes in ALI and BLI would undoubtedly ec matteiaalsmetthods tests ettc Is it impossible errils me hods ma ts take less time hopefully some researcher for dr chans progress to be reported will study the problem in open enrollment many adult school programs throughout adult ESL classes using true beginners with the country have similar plans curriculum nil english outlines behavioral objectives recommended
page 2

summer 1975
screening test either until after he has acquired some english proficiency

page 3

evaluation to check their own evaluation

how can one tell if dr chan is ready to
take an adult program ESL screening test before giving him the screening tests ask a number of information questions who sprinkled with a what when where etc few yesno questions are do did etc besno about the student his english ability the number of classes or kinds of classes he if the student can ask and wants etc answer and read a few simple conversation sentences give him screening tests for placement if he cant place him in the adult beginning survival english class

what is really lacking at the present time are reliable and valid screening and achievement tests that measure reading ability in the survival english classes 100 300 however 00 until new reading tests are developed and normed on adult ESL students in those survival english classes the tests listed T ach e slo w ch below can show gain teeacherrslown records of before and after achievements can also be used
following is a list of tests with scores showing placement into ESL levels grade equivalents are given when appropriate and when gain can be shown most of the information given here comes from research in validating my own tests but other tests are listed for further information about how those tests place into ESL levels contact see ramirez ap 3741 & the authors p . p ap 50558 0588 hopefully federal state and local governments will begin to use the SE levels rather than grades then our dr chants progress will be realistically reported han our progress better evaluated

the

after dr chan has been in a beginning survival english class how can one tell how ni
much he has achieved the screening tests can also be used as achievement or post nstruc on tests if given after 350 hours ofiinstructtiion they are useful when time is limited when teachers have not yet made reliable and valid evaluation tools to measure their objectives and when teachers want another

SCREENING TESTS

LEVEL
1 ESL 100 of beginning I

SCORE

PLACEMENT

l 00 Sel I or SE 1oo s E9 0119 24 0 24

ilyin ILYIN ORAL INTERVIEW STEL best grinsell nixon lado terrell madsen martz others ESL 200 or beginning 2
EPT aandb ept A and B ILYIN ORAL INTERVIEW STEL TESTS I beginning 1 & 2 lado terrell madsen others

epf aaandb f t A nd B

0119 9

SE 2 or SE 200 2 20 29

25 39 53 20 27 02
continued on page 9