ESL

Recent Newsletter Articles

2022 Language & Literacy Institute: Registration Now Open!

2022 Language & Literacy Institute: Registration Now Open!

Mark your calendars for the 2022 Language & Literacy Institute on January 27-28. If you teach any aspect of language & literacy—at any level—this event is for you! Read More

Fishing and Hunting Regulations Now Available in Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish

Fishing and Hunting Regulations Now Available in Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish

People who speak Hmong, Karen, Somali or Spanish now can read in their language how to legally fish and hunt in Minnesota. The DNR would like to make available free printed copies of the fishing, hunting and waterfowl regulations in these languages as an educational resource or teaching tool to teachers of Adult Basic Education and English Language Learner courses. Read More

Career Pathways for Low-Level English Speakers: Coffee Break Takeaways

Career Pathways for Low-Level English Speakers: Coffee Break Takeaways

At the recent ATLAS Fall 2021 ABE Conference, attendees gathered for a coffee break session to discuss Adult Career Pathways for low-level English speakers. Here are four takeaways from that session, along with some additional resources and thoughts to further the conversation. Read More

Attention ESL Teachers! Scholarships Available for 2021 MELEd Conference!

Attention ESL Teachers! Scholarships Available for 2021 MELEd Conference!

Do you teach adults whose first language is not English? Interested in connecting with others who work with immigrants and refugees, across all ages of learners and contexts for ESL? ATLAS is providing scholarships for Minnesota educators to attend the state ESL conference (MELEd) live and in-person under strict COVID precautions, in St. Paul on November 19-20, 2021! Read More

Storyline Online: Not Just for Kids!

Storyline Online: Not Just for Kids!

Read this ESL teacher’s story about using an online video library as the anchor for her weekly lessons. "Using Storyline Online as my lesson anchor makes our reading journey interesting, enjoyable, valuable, and is preparing my students and their children for school and life success!" Read More

New Spring Webinars from Literacy Minnesota

New Spring Webinars from Literacy Minnesota

Spring is a wonderful time to grow your teaching skills and your knowledge of adult learners! Join a wide network of volunteers and teachers for free professional development webinars from Literacy Minnesota. Read More

Low Level Literacy in ABE During COVID

Low Level Literacy in ABE During COVID

Participants in the “Low Level Literacy EL Learners” Networking Coffee Break during the Language & Literacy 2021 Institute generated a wealth of ideas and suggestions. Many instructors shared great success stories and discussed how they've been using several online resources to make their classes more effective. Read More

Podcasts for the ESL Teacher – or Any Teacher!

Podcasts for the ESL Teacher – or Any Teacher!

Do you miss sharing ideas with colleagues around the copy machine? Is having regular interaction with others on topics of language, teaching and culture something hard to come by these days? Maybe listening to a good podcast can help fill the void. Read on to see one teacher’s recommendations. Read More

“Teacher, Only You Understand Me” – Pronunciation Study Circle

“Teacher, Only You Understand Me” – Pronunciation Study Circle

All adult EL teachers have heard stories from learners of struggling to make themselves understood outside of the classrooms, but it can be difficult to know where to begin to help. Pronunciation is such a large topic; how can a teacher tackle it in a multicultural classroom when there are already a hundred other skills to teach? Never fear: the Pronunciation Study Circle is here! Read More

Speaking and Listening Opportunities for Beginning ESL: Phone Instruction with Worksheets

Speaking and Listening Opportunities for Beginning ESL: Phone Instruction with Worksheets

Remote learning and instruction by telephone automatically lends itself to several rich opportunities for speaking and listening. Using this mode of instruction provides unique learning opportunities to the student that may not be readily available in the traditional classroom setting, and it can be achieved by utilizing the same worksheets already used in class. Read More