When adult ESL (English as a Second Language) learners enter our classrooms with little or no first language literacy, their instructors teach them to read for the first time in an unfamiliar language. It is a tremendous task, and the context for teaching "adult emergent readers" is complex. This complexity is coupled with a growing, but still…

Discusses the collaborative mode, a learner-centered method of instruction in which authority for curriculum formation is jointly shared by the learner and the practitioner. Examines the teacher's role, student participation, assessing teaching style, and elements of the Principles of Adult Learning Scale: learner-centered activities,…

Classroom observation of three adult English as a second language classes and pre- and post-testing of students for proficiency were used to investigate the relationships between instructional processes and learning outcomes. The observation scheme, Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching, and the various results are described in detail.…