English language acquisition services are vital for immigrants’ civic, economic, and linguistic integration. Through these services, immigrants and English learners build English language proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to support their civic participation, their educational goals, and their economic mobility. Resources in this section support high-quality English language acquisition instruction and program development.
Informational Material, 2021
Maryland TESOL Handbook for Educators of English Learners
This handbook is for current practicing teachers, teachers in training, teacher leaders, prospective teachers, paraprofessionals/teaching assistants, teacher educators, administrators, and other stakeholders who support English learners in the state of Maryland. States can use this resource as a model for developing a resource for their state.
Informational Material, 2024
Valuing Diverse Cultural Assets in Adult Education
Multilingual learners bring diverse cultural and linguistic assets to adult education. This spotlight explores examples of cultural proficiency and approaches for applying a culturally responsive lens in the classroom.
Professional Development, 2019
Effective, Engaging, and Sustained Professional Development for Educators of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students
This commentary outlines the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) approach to professional development and presents results from the implementation of tools based on CAL six standards of effective, engaging, and sustained professional development. Programs can use these tools to develop and evaluate all phases of professional development delivery.
Informational Material
Meeting the Language Needs of Today’s English Language Learner
These OCTAE resources outline the need for rigor in English language instruction. Programs can use these resources as a guide for professional development, curriculum development, and instructional guidance.
Instructional Material
Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA)
Instructors can use these curriculum and professional development/training resources to establish a flipped-classroom approach to English language instruction, teaching English language skills in the context of college and careers.
Instructional Material
California EL Civics Exchange
This repository was created by CASAS, the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN), and the California Department of Education to share original instructional materials for the seven EL Civics competency areas.”
Instructional Material
The Change Agent
This instructional resource highlights student voices by sharing the stories of adult English learners. Instructors can use this resource to elevate the voices of learners in their instruction.
Instructional Material
Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults (LESLLA)
This web page provides instructors with useful websites, curriculum and materials, and professional development resources created for LESLLA learners. Instructors can use this resource to find materials appropriate for LESLLA learners.
Contextualized English language acquisition (ELA) instruction applies English speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to academic, job-related, or civic-oriented situations. In this way, immigrants and English learners improve their English language skills and learn content that is most relevant to them. Resources in this section describe and encourage various strategies for delivering contextualized instruction.
Research, 2011
Facilitating Student Learning Through Contextualization
This brief summarizes the research around contextualized curriculum and instruction in promoting learner persistence and goal attainment in community colleges and career and technical education programs. State leadership, especially in states where adult education is operated through a community college system, can identify some research studies to support contextualization and consider the recommendations for meeting the needs of struggling students with contextualization.
Informational Material, 2020
Contextualizing Adult Education: Learning from Six Decades of Experience and Research
This brief summarizes the history, rationale, and research that support contextualized curriculum and instruction in adult education. State leadership can use the brief to understand the research and cite evidence that supports policy for contextualization efforts in adult education.
Professional Development, 2015
Preparing English Learners for Work and Career Pathways Companion Learning Resource
OCTAE’s on-demand professional development module on contextualization covers program design, curriculum, evaluations, and learner assessment. Curriculum developers and instructors whose goal is to integrate workplace readiness and career pathways into ESOL classes can complete this professional development and access the additional resources.
Instructional Material, 2019
NYSED/CUNY CareerKit Project
Contextualized lesson plans and instructional material build career awareness and sector-specific knowledge while achieving language, literacy, and numeracy objectives for advanced English learners with adaptations for intermediate levels. Instructors working with high school equivalency or intermediate learners in IECLE programs can use this teaching resource to select sector-specific lesson plans to match learner needs.
Professional Development, 2022
Supporting English Language Learners in Training
This training video summarizes the unique needs that English language learners might have when engaging in training programs and offers training and teaching strategies to meet those needs. Occupational skills trainers, employers, or other trainers not familiar with adult education can complete this module to gain basic understandings and training skills.
Multilingual strategies can enhance immigrants’ and English learners’ understanding of instructional content and facilitate language development in both the native language and English. Resources in this section highlight strategies for supporting language access and multilingual instruction.
Informational Material, 2017
Speak Your Language
The Speak Your Language website offers resources for parents, students, and educators on how to promote the values of bilingualism and preserving our families’ home culture. The campaign works outside the public adult education system, providing resources in ESOL, digital literacy, and community building.
Policy, 2021
A Framework for Language Access: Key Features of U.S. State and Local Language Access Laws and Policies
Migration Policy Institute’s report provides a detailed look at how states and localities have designed their language access laws and policies.
Policy, 2021
VA Department of Education Adult Education Memo No. 037-21 and Frequently Asked Questions for Adult Education Director’s Memos
The Virginia Department of Education provides guidance and FAQs on using Adult Education and Family Literacy Act funds to support offering high school equivalency preparation classes in Spanish.
Informational Material, 2017
Problematizing Linguistic Integration of Migrants: The Role of Translanguaging and Language Teachers
This seminal article on translanguaging is one of the only ones that addresses translanguaging in the context of adult education.
Informational Material, 2021
Translanguaging: Theory, Concept, Practice, Stance… or All of the Above? (CAL Commentary)
This Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) resource examines emergent practices, debates, and examples of translanguaging in the classroom and highlights the educational advantages and benefits of translanguaging in multiple contexts including dual language immersion and English as a second language.
Instructional Material, 2022
STARTALK
Funded by the National Security Agency, this collection of resources for educators includes materials in multiple languages.
Informational Material
LESLLA Heritage Language Hub
Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults (LESLLA) provides this collection of online resources in learners’ mother tongues/heritage languages.
Research, 2007
Rethinking Monolingual Instructional Strategies in Multilingual Classrooms
Based on current research and theory, this article proposes a set of bilingual instructional strategies and provides concrete examples to illustrate how these strategies can be used together with monolingual strategies in a balanced and complementary way.
Instructional Material, 2013
Translanguaging: A CUNY-NYSIEB Guide for Educators
This guide presents practical ways to use translanguaging in an educational setting and is organized into three areas: Translanguaging Classroom, Content and Literacy Development, and Language Development. Instructors, program coordinators, and curriculum developers can use this guide to identify which translanguaging strategies align with student and program goals, and learn about implementation tips to set those strategies in motion.
Informational Material, 2023
Using Multilingual Approaches to Support English Language Acquisition
A multilingual approach offers instructional strategies to supplement instruction in English and support English language acquisition. Multilingual approaches allow learners to access their full linguistic repertoire for the purposes of accelerating their English proficiency.
Technology-enabled instruction options such as remote, blended, or hybrid learning can increase immigrants’ and English learners’ access to English language acquisition instruction. The resources in this section focus on how IELCE activities can use technology to widen access to instruction for their immigrant and English learner populations.
Policy, 2022
Civic Objectives and Additional Assessment Plan (COAPP) Information
California’s Civic Participation and IELCE assessment system was developed by CASAS for the California Department of Education EL Civics program and has been updated for IELCE and for California’s immigrant integration legislation (AB 2098). States can use the COAPPs and guidance for implementation to develop their own additional assessments inclusive of digital literacy.
Research/Informational Material, 2021
Remote ESOL Project
The Remote ESOL Project provides case studies, effective practices, and policy recommendations for remote ESOL instruction. Programs can use these resources to guide implementation and development of remote adult education programming.
Informational Material
SABES: The Three Pillars to Successful Remote ESOL Instruction
The Three Pillars Framework focuses on the three areas of structure, communication, and delivery. This resource can guide instructors as they deliver remote ESOL instruction.
Informational Material, 2020
Fostering Teaching Presence through the Synchronous Online Flipped Learning Approach
This article describes how teachers can leverage the flipped learning approach in online courses to foster teaching presence. Instructors can use this resource to gain strategies for online teaching.
A network of partners may deliver these services to adult English learners, including internationally-trained professionals.