The article discusses an artistic event "Emotions Icelandic Awakes" organized by the Reykjavik City Library as part of the national celebrations for Icelandic Language Day. It examines the potential of affording genuine attention to language as a matter of emotional inquiry for the process of intercultural exchange. We reflect on the…

Extensive Reading is a resource heavy technique used in second language acquisition in which language learners read large amounts of texts for enjoyment, with the expectation that they will improve their vocabulary and fluency as a result of exposure to the written language. Narrow Reading is a similar technique in which the texts have a common…

America has always been a nation of immigrants, and many school libraries serve students whose first language is not English. In AASL's 2009 "School Libraries Count! Survey," 14% of the 5,824 respondents reported a student population with 25% or more English language learners. Yet 91% reported that less than 5% of their collections are…

Teachers can use comic books and graphic novels (fiction and nonfiction) to teach curriculum and standards. Publishers see the interest that students have in graphic novels. Some companies have published graphic novels of the classics. These versions make it easier for second language learners or students reading below grade level to grasp the…

Encouraging literacy and academic success among English language learners (ELLs) is becoming an increasingly common challenge for educators. In the course of the authors work of training teachers or providing training for implementation of materials, they have found that the resources of the school library media center are invaluable for helping…

This digest summarizes the history of public libraries and library literacy programs; describes current delivery models; and discusses initiatives in library literacy, profiling one successful public library program that serves adult English language learners and their families. (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education) (Author/VWL)

This essay addresses the effect of introducing a foreign language into the formal education of oral-traditional societies. Highlights include the nature of such societies, language in formal education, reading and language acquisition, developing a theory of high retention and recall, and overall implications for national development and…

The role that libraries and librarians can play in making the teaching and learning of French as a second language more effective in West African secondary schools is discussed. Reasons for close cooperation between French teachers and librarians are also examined. (L BH)

This digest discusses some of the challenges facing libraries in the area of service to adults learning English as a Second Language. It describes services provided for this population by some libraries, and suggests tools and approaches that other libraries can use. It also outlines actions that participants at the 1991 White House Conference on…

This digest discusses ways that the school librarian in one high school fostered a positive environment in the school library for English-as-a-Second-Language students and broadened the role of the school library in effecting literacy experiences for these students. The digest addresses how one school librarian made the library a welcoming place…

This paper provides ideas implemented by one school librarian to improve and encourage the use of the school library by Limited-English-Proficiency (LEP) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students at the school. First, a description is given of how the librarian fostered a positive and welcoming environment for introducing the students to the…

Contributors suggest ways to (1) phrase reading for second-language learners, (2) improve comprehension through creative mapping, (3) improve student "browsing" skills in a library, and (4) help students overcome writer's block. (FL)

This training pack contains 13 modules, each lasting approximately one hour and 15 minutes, which introduces schools in England to the Literacy across the Curriculum element of the Key Stage 3 National Strategy. Each unit starts with a list of objectives, suggestions for use, resources required, and an overview of the session. Associated handouts…

This conference report contains 32 presented papers: "Talking Books for Children in Sweden in Libraries and Schools" (L. Bergman); "At-Risk Students: How Do School (Library) Systems Respond?" (G. R. Brown); "Providing School Library Services to Immigrant Populations" (K. W. Craver); "Bibliographic Aids for School…