Spring 1999
Vol 7 Issue 2
IN THIS ISSUE...
Multiplied or Divided by Technology
LEE: A Valuable Addition to Language Learning
Changing Face of Distance Learning Students
SEE ALSO...
The Forum
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
LEE: A Valuable Addition to Language Learning
Mary Jane Onnen, GCC
The Maricopa Community College District reaches thousands of students across the valley, yet there are still thousands that may never take a college class. Some may not have any interest and, for those who do, the cost and distance may be obstacles. For one group of potential students, Hispanic immigrants, language is a major barrier. Before they can finish a certificate or degree program, they must improve their English proficiency. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are an essential starting point for their education. Often, these newcomers congregate in rural areas far from community colleges and do not have the opportunity or the means to take advantage of the many ESL classes offered in the community college system.
However, these impediments of cost, language, and distance were overcome through a collaborative effort between the Dysart Unified School District and Glendale Community College. Five years ago, the Bilingual Department in the Dysart Unified School District identified a need for English as a Second Language classes for the parents of the bilingual children in their district. Bilingual Department Director, Marilyn Sanchez, had obtained funding from a Title VII grant to improve the academic achievement of children with limited English ability. Recognizing the key role of parents in a child's education, Ms. Sanchez had set aside funding to pay for tuition and book expenses for ESL education of these parents. In addition to paying for classes, childcare was arranged and the classroom space was located in one of the elementary schools. Glendale Community College provided testing and registration sessions at the elementary school, and the first classes began in January 1994.
Having the ESL classes off-site allowed the parents to receive the same classes offered at Glendale Community College in a more convenient and non-threatening setting. Faculty from Glendale Community College offered classes in English as a Second Language and reading. As completely as possible, instruction and services at El Mirage Elementary School matched instruction and services at the college. Of course, it was impossible to provide everything that Glendale Community College offered. Computers were available in El Mirage School, but the software on the computers was geared to elementary students. Except for a typing tutorial and word-processing program, there was no software to support the English as a Second Language instruction. The Learning Assistance Center with its ESL software on campus could not be duplicated off campus. Dysart students had the option as registered students to work in the Learning Assistance Center at Glendale Community College, but none chose to do so.
Then, in May 1998, the Learning English Electronically program (LEE) developed by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI), and ESL faculty became available in a CD-ROM format. At last, not only did the students have the opportunity to work on computers, but they also had meaningful activities to use. LEE is a computer-based educational program designed primarily for English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. The goal of LEE is to help adults with a moderate level of proficiency in English recognize the structural patterns of the English language and develop their writing skills at the sentence level.
LEE is organized in units that cover 22 different grammar concepts. Because of its wide range of grammar concepts, the software may be used at different levels of instruction. For the three levels of ESL classes in El Mirage, it was possible for each class to find a unit to complement instruction in the classroom. A classroom copy of the LEE CD-ROM was kept in the El Mirage computer lab, and a schedule was set up so that each class could have an hour of computer instruction each week. Students could use LEE for grammar practice and also for vocabulary enrichment. Within each lesson it was also possible to read and listen to a text. This was a popular feature for improving listening comprehension and pronunciation.
Because the LEE CD-ROM was inexpensive, several students purchased their own copies. They were very pleased to find that it was easy to use, and often the whole family would share the software.
The real test for the LEE program came in the fall 1998 semester. So many students had registered in August 1998 that an additional section of ESL had to be opened the week before the semester began. However, all the available classroom space was filled. The past four years two teacher workrooms, the art room and the library in the elementary school had been used, for the classrooms built for elementary students were not comfortable for adults. The computer lab was available; consequently, the extra class was set up in the computer lab, and LEE was used as the text.
The students in the new class had attended ESL classes at least one or two semesters but were still at a beginning level. They had had basic computer instruction and used LEE as a supplement to instruction previously. Because the LEE program has student and instructor guides with additional practice available through its web site (http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/proj/lee/), copies of a student workbook could be printed.
Another feature of the web site is the access to the texts for each lesson of the unit. These were also printed and used to introduce each lesson. Class time was usually spent with an introductory period reviewing the grammar rules and text followed by further practice on the computers. Each student was able to keep track of his progress on the tracking sheet, also a part of the instructional package, which could be downloaded on the web.
Since January 1994, an average of seventy students has attended classes each semester even through the hot summer sessions. These students would not have been found in ESL classes on any college campus. Many of the students did not have transportation or childcare. Some had only progressed through the sixth grade in Mexico, and the familiar environment of El Mirage Elementary school was a more comfortable entry point for their return to a formal classroom. The English as a Second Language classes have enabled these parents to integrate more quickly into the United States and also allowed them to help their children academically. Moreover, the computer instruction has hastened their progress in English language acquisition as well as providing them with computer skills, valuable in an increasingly technological environment. One student confided, "Thanks to English classes and computer instruction, I have much more confidence at my job." Many students are signing up for Spanish GED classes now that they are more comfortable in their new student roles.
Technology, such as LEE, has been a valuable support in their educational journey.