In the Minnesota adult basic education system, ESL learners (as defined by the National Reporting System) make up roughly half of our students statewide. Of course, there are English learners in non-ESL (ABE) levels as well! Language learners do not check their language issues at the door when they test out of ESL-specific offerings in programs.

In addition, learning academic language, the language of access in our society, is a second language for everyone. Offering strong language development is a key component of our work in ABE, across all proficiency levels and teaching contexts. In response, ATLAS offers a number of professional development (PD) activities to support language development.

Language & Literacy Institute

One of our primary activities for improving ESL instruction is hosting the Language & Literacy Institute, a two-day, intensive training that takes place in late January each year. The large event brings together reading, writing, and ESL educators in ABE to collaborate with and learn from one another. The Language & Literacy Institute is organized by the Language & Literacy Advisory Team, and we offer an array of  workshops on reading and literacy instruction topics that have emerged as priorities in the state.

Language Instruction Study Circles

Study circles are small learning groups of practitioners who meet several times with a facilitator to learn together around a specific topic. Prior to each session, participants read a selection of relevant research on the study circle topic, and they may be assigned written or classroom-based reflection tasks to complete as well. ATLAS offers a number of language instruction study circles, which are described below.

Study Circle Facilitator Guides

Practitioners are also encouraged to make use of our Study Circle Facilitator Guides, which provide step-by-step suggestions for conducting study circles no matter where your program is based:

Study Circles

Pronunciation Study Circle

This 9-hour study circle is a professional learning activity for Adult Basic Education ESL teachers who are interested in integrating effective pronunciation instruction into their regular teaching practice. Study circle participants analyze the pronunciation needs of learners with diverse cultural backgrounds and English ability levels, explore relevant research and its implications for targeted pronunciation instruction, and actively engage in pronunciation instruction within their own teaching practices. Participants engage in both at-home reading and reflective classroom tasks that inform and deepen discussions and allow for maximum professional growth.

Integrating Language & Numeracy Study Circle

The purpose of this 9-hour study circle is to advance Adult Basic Education teachers’ ability to effectively and confidently integrate numeracy instruction and English language instruction. It is appropriate for teachers of all levels of English and math within Minnesota ABE, as teachers adapt tasks for their own levels and classrooms. Study circle participants explore relevant research and its implications for best practices in the classroom, as well as engaging in both at-home reading and reflective classroom tasks that inform and deepen discussions and allow for maximum professional growth.

Beginning ESL Literacy Study Circle I

This 9-hour study circle is a professional learning activity for teachers of low-literate Adult Basic Education ESL students – those learners with little or no first-language literacy. With a special focus on reading development for these learners, teachers explore relevant research and its implications for best practices in the classroom. Study circle participants engage in both at-home reading and reflective classroom tasks that inform and deepen discussions and allow for maximum professional growth.

Low-Literacy Adult ESL Study Circle II: Next Steps in Designing Balanced Instruction

This 9-hour study circle is a professional learning activity for Adult Basic Education teachers of low-literate adult ESL students – those learners with little or no first-language literacy. A follow-up to Low-Literacy Adult ESL Study Circle I, this circle focuses on balancing oral and written skills instruction in the classroom, in addition to establishing strong instructional routines that guide students to more independent and effective learning. Study circle participants explore relevant research and its implications for best practices in the classroom, as well as engaging in both at-home reading and reflective classroom tasks that inform and deepen discussions and allow for maximum professional growth.

Advisory Teams

Language & Literacy Advisory Team

The Language & Literacy Advisory Team (LLATé) is an ATLAS-sponsored team designed to strengthen language, reading, and writing instruction in Minnesota through relevant, meaningful, and effective professional development for practitioners.

The Advisory Team is responsible for visioning and the creating a long-term strategic plan for language & literacy PD in Minnesota, as well as specific tasks yearly to support established PD efforts, such as the January Language & Literacy Institute.

New ESL Resources

Collective Joy: Leveraging Students’ Collectivist Mindset as a Classroom Asset

View the slides from Collective Joy: Leveraging Students’ Collectivist Mindset as a Classroom Asset, presented by Erin Cary and Cydnee Sanders at the 2025 Minnesota English Learner Education (MELEd) Conference. This session invites educators to shift from deficit-based thinking to an asset-based approach that recognizes the collectivist strengths many multilingual adult learners bring to the classroom. The resource includes practical strategies—such as simple, community-building routines—and reflective prompts to help educators create classroom environments where connection, identity, and joy are central to adult ESL and ABE instruction.

Beginning ESL Literacy Distance Learning / In-Class Units

These lessons for Beginning EL Literacy (NRS ESL Level 1, CASAS STEPS 160-183) can be used in class, or assigned out of class as proxy hours by a TVM-certified teacher. The lessons are paper-packet based, and each has a QR code link to a video for the lesson. Each unit contains 5 lessons. Each lesson introduces 6-8 new vocabulary words, and is meant to build knowledge based on previous lessons.

Building Sentence-Writing Fluency Through Timed Writing Practice

This spotlight features two resources from the Iowa Reading Research Center that focus on building sentence-level writing fluency through timed, repeated writing practice. It includes an article explaining the approach and an example lesson plan that shows how timed writing sessions can be used and adapted in the classroom.
ESL

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Latest ESL Articles

The Brand-New CILIA-T Curriculum is Now Available!

As a preview of our session at the upcoming Statewide Virtual Conference (April 17), learn more about the newly published, FREE e-textbook for CILIA-T, a curriculum for adult learners integrating U.S. history, civics, government, academic English and digital skills. Read More

Collective Joy: Leveraging Students’ Collectivist Mindset as a Classroom Asset

Collective joy is more than a feel-good classroom moment—it’s a powerful instructional asset rooted in many learners’ collectivist cultural strengths. This article explores how Adult Education teachers can intentionally cultivate shared responsibility, connection, and identity as part of everyday instruction. Read More

Upcoming ABE Events

April 1, 2026 1:00 pm–3:00 pm
Literacy Minnesota
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Teaching Reading Vocabulary

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Registration Deadline: WED. 4/1/26 Venue: Online (see details below) Vocabulary is everyone’s favorite reading component! And helping students master reading vocabulary is a key to helping them master comprehension. But how many words should you teach? And which words are the most important? What strategies are best for… Learn More

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April 7, 2026 3:00 pm–4:00 pm
ATLAS
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Teach Basic Skills with Socially Relevant, Standards-Aligned Content

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Registration Deadline: TUE. 4/7/26 When content is relevant and impacts students’ lives in ways that go beyond learning basic skills, students are more engaged. Their interest in the content becomes the scaffolding that lifts them to higher and higher levels of complexity. Come and learn about a FREE… Learn More

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April 8, 2026 12:00 pm–1:15 pm
ATLAS
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Minnesota ABE Leadership Book Club: Cultivating Genius

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Registration Deadline: By each meeting date DATES: (YOU MUST REGISTER FOR EACH DATE) Meeting 1: Wednesday, March 4 – 12-1:15 pm (CST) – REGISTER Meeting 2: Wednesday, April 8 – 12-1:15 pm (CDT) –… Learn More

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