English Language Civics Education
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Integrating English Language
Learning
and Civic Participation Education
by
Gloria Beachey, Michael Campbell, and Cheryl North
ESL Professional Development Center, The University of Texas at San Antonio
A
key element of civic participation education for adult English language
learners is that learning needs to have real-life consequences. One of
its purposes is for learners to become active in community life. For example,
learners might collaborate to fight for a community improvement, learn
about and participate in the American electoral system (if appropriate),
or join the local Parent Teacher Association (PTA). (Terrill, 2000)
We agree wholeheartedly with the above quote and believe that such an
approach to English language learning will contribute to the good of all
citizens and non-citizens in our country. A classroom activity that we
have shared with a number of adult ESL instructors has proven to be effective
in helping students learn the vocabulary and explore the concepts of civic
participation. We call the activity "Building a Community."
The box below shows how we do it.
The "Building
a Community" activity is easily extended to transform it from a virtual
model to a representation of the community in which the learners participate.
One example is to create a model of their actual community with local
landmarks, streets, houses, businesses, and schools. The next step is
to discuss various aspects of the community and facilitate their identifying
a problem or deficit in the community. It can be as simple as pothole
repairs, a necessary bus stop, or as complex as the lack of neighborhood
health services. If necessary, the instructor can introduce problem-solving
techniques. The learners might address the questions "what, who,
how, when and where." The activity often evolves into a project once
those questions are answered and the hypothetical becomes real. Like a
pebble dropped into a pond, the learners' concept of community ripples
from local to global, their street to their neighborhood and beyond to
the national level. As their understanding of their importance in the
community increases, their empowerment blossoms.
A number of additional
benefits come from doing this activity. "Building a Community"
encourages collaboration, negotiation, and interaction among all levels
of students and thus is an excellent activity for a multilevel classroom.
It also accommodates all the learning styles - visual, tactile, auditory,
and kinesthetic. Community resource guides, letter writing campaigns
and life stories integrate reading and writing skills into the classroom.
Technology can be employed for research and e-mail. Inviting community
leaders to speak to the class provides listening and speaking in authentic
situations as well as access to those individuals that can facilitate
change in the community. Language is contextualized and communicative.
Opportunities to solve real problems, meaningful to the students, encourage
class attendance and class participation.
Civics education is
more than citizenship classes and history and culture lessons, although
these are important facets of citizen education. Civic participation education,
which encourages learners to become effective citizens and 'builders
of the community' is an integral part as well.
Reference
Terrill, L. (2000.) Civics education for adult English Language Learners
ERIC Q & A. Washington, DC: National Center for ESL Literacy Education.
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Building
a Community Activity
Time
for Activity:
Several hours but may be extended and used through a whole semester
with modifications and adaptations to meet the learners' needs.
Materials
Needed:
Foam core board or cardboard (something substantial to hold the
models). Paper, pencils scissors, tape, markers. Clip Art representing
different items found within a community, such as school buses,
stop signs, streets, buildings, homes, parks, people, school, library,
hospital (or miniature replicas). Pictures of people (children,
adults, sports figures, police, postal worker, delivery person).
Grouping:
- Determine
the size you want the groups to be before the learners begin (4-5
is optimum).
- Each person
chooses a picture from the pictures of people.
- Each student
looks at the pictures other learners have and tries to find people
with whom he/she can make a group and develop a theme relating
to a common situation. For example: Pictures of a boy playing
soccer, a coach, a mother, a group of children -- could be used
to make up an soccer game event.
- Once the
predetermined group size has been met, these learners will be
a group who will help to develop their community around an event,
problem or action they identify. This encourages communication
and development of common interests within a group.
Activity:
"Building A Community"
- Each group
will identify an event (it can be a social event such as a party,
a political event such as an election and voting, a church event
such as baptism, etc.), a problem and solution (such as how to
get a particular street repaired, or an action (such as how to
visit a doctor's office).
- Each group
will build a model community including the locations(s) of their
event and whatever else they want to include.
- They also
will make an advertisement and/or invitations with time, place,
and directions to a particular event.
- After all
groups have developed their particular event, problem, action,
they will write an explanation of what their event/problem/action
is and present it orally to the class. This presentation will
include showing where the physical locations are on the model.
An
Example:
A group has chosen to do a social event - a birthday party in the
park. They must build a model community that includes a park, maybe
a pavilion, roads leading to the park, and landmarks that would
make it easier to find the location. They will design invitations
with the time, place, directions, etc. They will decide if they
want entertainment, what kind of food will be served and any other
special things they would need to have a successful party. They
may even want to include the costs and how much they will spend
on each item.
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