Archive
Recent Newsletter Articles
News in Levels: World News for Students of English
This website has articles collected from around the world available in three different levels. Each level has highlighted vocabulary words and a listening track so that readers can hear a native English speaker reading the article. Read More
Literacy Minnesota Pre-Beginning ESL Story Bank and Curriculum
This curriculum builds literacy skills and incorporates level-appropriate Transitions skills identified by the ATLAS program's Academic, Career & Employability Skills (ACES) initiative, as outlined in the Transitions Integration Framework (TIF), into every life skill unit. Read More
Making It Real: Teaching Pre-Literate Adult Refugee Students
This book is a great place reference for both new and experienced teachers. It covers a variety of effective practices for teaching low-literate adult refugees, and describes techniques and activities that support these practices. Read More
Incorporating Goal-Setting in Adult ESL Classrooms
This PowerPoint outlines goal-setting projects and their results in beginning level adult ESL classrooms. Images of handouts and descriptions of activities are provided. Read More
Getting to the Rough Ground of Language and Literacy Learning Through the Language Experience Approach
This blog post from The Literacy Bug describes how teachers can use the language experience approach (LEA) to support early language learners by providing them with ample opportunities to hear, see, use and manipulate language in contextualized, purposeful ways. Read More
Five Activities to Promote Interaction and Communication
This packet contains in-depth descriptions of five communicative activities that can be used with literacy- and beginning-level learners through advanced level learners. Read More
Facilitating Adult Learner Interactions to Build Listening and Speaking Skills
A Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) research brief that includes techniques to promote successful language learning interactions, examples of activities, and special considerations for beginning-level learners. Read More
ESL Literacy Readers
This collection of beloved theme-based readers for beginning levels of ESL literacy has been discontinued (in late 2024). They are no longer available at the Bow Valley College site. However, colleagues at the Immigrant Welcome Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, have a number of the readers posted (with permission) on their Adult ELL Pathway to Literacy website. This document outlines the changes and how to find these materials. Read More
Breaking News English
This website is a long-time teacher favorite, featuring readings from news stories around the world in seven different levels. Each article is written in three to four different levels and contains printable activities and handouts. Read More
Beginning and Literacy Level Adult ESL Students
This online collection from the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition contains links and citations for multiple articles, guides, and handbooks focused and adult literacy level readers. Read More