Research on foreign language anxiety has focused primarily on students in language training programs. The lack of attention to foreign language anxiety among counseling students speaking English as a second language has led to supervision issues among this growing student population in counseling programs. This article identifies areas such as…

Drawing on longitudinal data from the ESRC-funded "Adult Basic Skills and Workplace learning" project (2003-2008), together with recent findings from research undertaken under the auspices of the LLAKES research centre (Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies), this paper seeks to explore the key factors…

This report documents the implementation and early impacts of the Carreras en Salud (Careers in Health) program, operated by Instituto del Progreso Latino, in Chicago, Illinois. The Carreras en Salud program is one promising effort aimed at helping low-income, low-skilled adults access and complete occupational training that can lead to increased…

Using a liberatory discourse theoretical framework, this action research study investigated the experiences of students enrolled in basic skills English classes through a series of in-depth focus groups. The data were then analyzed in collaboration with students to draw conclusions. Student voices informed the data at every step of the inquiry…

Gervais High School--with a senior class of 80 and a total enrollment of 337--may be small in size compared to its neighbors, but it has demonstrated over the last four years the ability to think big in pursuit of excellence. A decade ago, Gervais had a well-earned reputation in Oregon's Willamette Valley as a drug-ridden, gang-infested school…

Throughout the history of the United States, adult education has played a continuous role in helping adults reach for better lives. In the early 20th century, as this country witnessed expanded growth and tremendous work opportunities, it became apparent that in order to have a productive workforce and economic stability, the language needs of so…

This research report investigates the links between formal, non-formal and informal learning and the differences between them. In particular, the report aims to link these notions of learning to literacy and essential skills, as well as the learning of second and other languages in Canada. It builds upon the work of the OECD (n.d.) and Werquin…

The arrival of substantial cohorts of English language learners from Africa with little, no or severely interrupted schooling is requiring new pedagogic responses from teachers in Australia and other Western countries of refugee re-settlement. If the students are to have optimal educational and life chances, it is crucial for them to acquire…

This paper takes up three topics for discussion. The first is whether the Kachruvian three-circle model can accommodate the possible change of English use (e.g. native/non-native to individual proficiency, a special talent to a basic skill). The second is what transformation English would undergo if it survives as English as an international…

It is no secret that America is at risk of losing its place as a world leader in education. Some 88 million adults in America need help with their English as a Second Language (ESL) and basic skills, yet the nation is currently providing services to only 3 million people. The Commission on Adult Literacy calls for bold change at the state and…

This article describes the evolution and implementation of the California Basic Skills Initiative (CA BSI), a statewide effort to address ongoing basic skills and ESL needs of community college students and of all campus faculty, administrators, and staff who support these students. CA BSI strategies include assisting every college in assessing…

Discusses language as skill and the idea that there are common elements between language and general skill acquisition. (Author/VWL)

Spanning two years, the program set forth in the Daily Curriculum Guide for preschool Spanish-speaking children is essentially a language maintenance model in which Spanish is used as a means to develop basic concepts, skills and attitudes. This guide gives daily lesson plans for the first ten weeks of the second year. Each lesson, written in…

Daily lesson plans for weeks 11 through 20 are given in this guide which is part of the second year of the Daily Curriculum Guide preschool program for Spanish-speaking children. The program is designed to use Spanish as a means to develop basic concepts, skills and attitudes. Each lesson, written in Spanish and English, gives detailed teacher…

Daily lesson plans for weeks 21 through 34 are provided in this guide, the third and last in the Year II sequence of the Daily Curriculum Guide preschool program for the Spanish-speaking child. The program is based on a language maintenance model in which Spanish is used as a means to develop basic concepts, skills and attitudes. Written in both…