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Ollerhead, S. (2012). 'Passivity'or'potential'? Teacher responses to learner identity in the low-level adult ESL literacy classroom. Literacy and Numeracy Studies, 20(1), 63-83.

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Low proficiency adult language learners bring their various identity to the classroom.
Teacher feel challenging to responding to the specific linguistic and social needs of distinctly multicultural beginner classes.

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Bigelow, M., & Tarone, E. (2004). The role of literacy level in second language acquisition: Doesn't who we study determine what we know?. TESOL quarterly, 38(4), 689-700.

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Most second language acquisition (SLA) research focusses on learners who are already highly literate in their L1, with a comparatively limited research base on immigrant learners who have low literacy in any language.

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- Researchers should investigate how L1 literacy affects the acquisition of L2 oral skills [THIS IS A LITTLE TOO GENERAL - GET TO THE HEART OF THE ARGUMENT LIKE THE THIRD POINT BELOW.]
- One of the two major factors correlating positively with learners’ academic L2 literacy across contexts was whether the learners were literate in their L1 [THIS IS ARTICULATED AS A FINDING MORE THAN AN ARGUMENT]
- Literate researchers cannot imagine learning oral skills in an L2 without the benefit of a wide range of literacy-related products and skills: conscious awareness of grammatical categories, notes, etc. Learners without such learning tools would be gravely disadvantaged in acquiring an L2. [YES THIS IS GOOD BUT COULD BE SHARPENED UP A BIT. TO DISCUSS LATER...]
- SLA Researches are blinded by their own literacy [IS IT RESEARCHES OR RESEARCHERS? THIS ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE IT COULD JUST BE PART OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM?]

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"none of the studies published in TESOL Quarterly during the past 10 years documents the SLA processes of post–critical period L2 learners who have low L1 literacy. "

By failing to investigate illiterate learners, SLA theory fails to capture the full range of contexts in which humans engage in L2 learning - particularly refugees and those with disrupted education. If theories are to be viable, they must present widely accepted findings - this reveals the current state of SLA theory to be of limited application.

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Strengths:
- Main contention that research is limited in SLA theory due to its blindspot in considering illiterate learners is supported by evidence (searching through Tesol Quarterly database to confirm this - quite the power play from the authors)
- "All post–critical period evidence on noticing so far comes from literate, if not privileged, L2 learners (e.g., Doughty & Williams, 1998; Izumi & Bigelow, 2000; Mackey, 1999; Philp, 2003)." - here the author is calling out specific studies to back up their claims around the blindspot in low-literacy.
- Acknowledges the difficulty in researching illiterate learners, gives reasons why this blindspot exists (many of the existing SLA research methodologies simply cannot be replicated with illiterate learners)

Weaknesses:
- The authors attack the current state of SLA theory, and sympathise with the difficulty of researching learners with low L1 literacy, however they do not indicate with much detail how researchers can go about this. Some suggestions are given on best practise when it comes to collecting data from this group of learners, but with a limited existing research base to illuminate the path forward the authors don't provide many solutions to the problems they identify.

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My position is in support of the arguments raised by the authors. After reading the article, I feel I possess an increased awareness of how little research exists (at time of publication) of low-literacy learners, and find the overriding contention of the authors confirmed through the lens of my own engagement with literature around EAL learning thus far in the MTeach. The authors make a compelling argument for the need for increased attention to be paid to low-literacy EAL learners in order to legitimise SLA theory as being representative of all learners, despite the lack of clarity as to what this might actually look like.

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Miller, J., & Windle, J. (2010). Second language literacy: Putting high needs ESL learners in the frame. English in Australia, 45(3), 31-40.

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Windle, J., & Miller, J. (2019). Scaffolding second language literacy: a model for students with interrupted schooling. European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL, 8(1). 39-59.

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Young refugees often come into the classroom with disrupted schooling and limited literacy.

Teachers do not have the time or appropriate models to help them scaffold these young refugees' language and literacy skills.

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Young refugees are in danger of being excluded from education and employment due to their histories of interrupted schooling.

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Teachers need to seek strategies to develop the literacy and language skills of young refugees with interrupted schooling. Having a model to do this will help teachers to scaffold young refugees better.

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Strengths

They develop a model based on practical long term (three year) case studies in combination with literature.

They focus on the language needs of ELL students from a disrupted schooling background, with their model focusing on recycling (practicing) and expanding L2 knowledge.

The model is linked to the learning cycle which makes it more familiar for teachers who want to use it.

Weakness

The model does not resolve tensions around trying to teach content while ensuring that low literacy learners keep up with the class (more resources are needed).

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The model in the article is quite useful and looks like it would be of use in the low literacy classroom. Focusing on practicing language is a good way to consolidate learning, however it also takes time away from learning new content and it would be difficult to achieve a balance between practice and new content in the classroom.

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Current ESL and literacy frameworks (genre-based teaching, the four resources model, the transformative pedagogy model) make assumptions that do not hold for refugee-background students with disrupted prior schooling (e.g., at entry to secondary school in Victoria, students are expected to demonstrate some level of reading skills).

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As low-literacy refugee-background learners must learn the ways of school, the English language and literacy in Australia, there is a need to consider how current literacy pedagogy frameworks can be made to work for low-literacy refugee-background students and hence support them to adapt to the mainstream settings and begin to engage in learning.

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- Refugee-background learners may have not developed skills, knowledge and dispositions needed for mainstream classrooms. [THIS IS MORE OF A STATEMENT I THINK THAN AN ARGUMENT.]
-  Teachers need to have a working knowledge of both literacy and second language learning. [AS ABOVE]
- Current literacy frameworks explicitly focus on catering for the needs of second language literacy learners, whereas refugee-background students need a continuous focus on vocabulary learning, comprehension, and fundamental skills. [YES THIS IS MORE TARGETED TO LOW LITERACY LEARNERS SO I WOULD GO WITH AN ARGUMENT LIKE HIS BUT EVEN THIS COULD BE SHARPENED UP A LITTLE - THE FIRST TWO BITS ON VOCAB LEARNING AND COMPREHENSION ARE RELEVANT TO OTHER EALS ALSO SO I WOULD FIND A WAY TO STRENGTHEN THE LAST POINT SO THAT THAT BECOMES THE FOCUS.]
- Problems with using these frameworks to teach students from refugee backgrounds: they emphasise using students' prior knowledge to build and extend background knowledge; the resources being used are created on the basis of the belief that texts can only be understood as part of a pattern of social and cultural practice; they tend to assume linguistic and conceptual transfer from L1 literacy. ["... that texts can only be understood as part of a pattern of social and cultural practice;": CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS A LITTLE MORE PLEASE? BUT YES THIS CAN BE ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS BUT AS A READER I NEED TO KNOW MORE PRECISELY WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THESE FOR LOW LITERACY LEARNERS.]

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Strengths:

-       The authors provide a deep and critical review of popular literacy frameworks and evaluate the potential problems for refugee-background students.

-       A range of learning difficulties and needs of low-literacy refugee-background students are listed, with respect to psychological cause (lack of confidence & fear), teachers’ competence, feasibility of current curriculum content

-       Resources which have the potential to include second language literacy students have been presented (comprehensive input, importance of vocabulary building etc.).

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I agree that the current literacy frameworks with a strong emphasis on literary analysis are not appropriate for low literacy learners entering a mainstream environment where the focus of learning remains on the English language and the knowledge and skills required for schooling. Based on my observations during my first placement at a language school where most of the students had suffered interrupted education prior to moving to Australia, the students' eagerness for knowledge and their high level of engagement in the classroom was truly impressive, and also made my teaching experience smooth and enjoyable. However, the transition to mainstream settings is predictably challenging for those students due to significant changes in the learning environment and cohorts. Therefore, mainstream teachers should be trained to provide additional language and psychological support to help these students overcome 'transition shock' and build confidence in learning.

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Windle, J., & Miller, J. (2012). Approaches to teaching low literacy refugee-background students. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, The, 35(3), 317-333.

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DeCapua, A. (2016). Reaching Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education Through Culturally Responsive Teaching. Language and Linguistics Compass, 10(5), 225-237.

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Low literacy adult learners are always labelled as passive and lacking linguistic ability .Teachers should engage in pedagogical practices to enhance rather than limit their identity positions , thereby enabling them to participate meaningful language leaning in a range of social context.

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Teachers need strategies to address the low literacy adults social and linguistic needs.
Teachers need to recognize their identity positions and use strategies to allow meaningful participation.

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Strength:
Illustrate the pedagogies  by  Comparing two observed pedagogical practices.
One teacher focused on vocabulary, reading and writing tasks about health-related issues. She successfully elicited learners’ multiple identities as parents, nurturers, healers and consumers by contextualizing the content that they found interesting, relevant and engaging.

Another teacher's lesson focused on vocabulary and writing tasks associated with leisure activities. she used key vocabulary associated with visiting the beach and other popular Australian customs, such as fishing and holding barbecues. Lucy addressed several direct questions to her learners, which met with little or no response.

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It can be concluded that it is crucial to appeal to the learners' diverse identities and increase their opportunities of participation by providing topics and content related to their culture and identity positions.

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SEE THE CURRENT 'LABELING'...

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Book made for low literacy learners studying in schools - making language explicit in subject content areas... some good ideas here you can use

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In case you want to see all of the group's work  for this week.

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Terrific research synthesis and a little more recent than the Bigelow article in Ali's paper

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A few key points I put together some time ago based on the Bigelow & Schwarz synthesis above

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A few key points I put together some time ago based on the Bigelow & Schwarz synthesis above

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may or may not find it helpful....