Evaluating Materials

1. What important factors do you feel are needed when selecting and evaluating ESL reading materials?

First and foremost, when selecting reading materials for ESL students, I think it is most important to make sure that it is readable. It would be bad to select a text that is too advanced for students that are on grade level. However, you must also be careful to choose a selection that is not too low.

Another issue to consider when choosing ESL reading materials is the interest level. It is important to consider what the individual students in your classroom are interested in as well as things they are not interested in. Any student is more likely to read and become engaged with something that is interesting to them.

It is also important to think about the kinds of discussions the materials will allow you to have with your students. Just like the high interest topics you would hope to find issues that your students will want to discuss.

Finally, in ESL, it is always important to find materials that represent a variety of cultural backgrounds. This helps your student remember that there are other cultures out there and that they are equally as important as the culture of the L2. Sometimes, it will add an extra bit of excitement when a student sees their own culture represented in a material.

2. What are your thoughts regarding promoting literacy in second language learners?

Promoting literacy is of the utmost importance. Literacy ties in so closely with every other aspect of education that promoting it should be one of any ESL teacher’s primary goals. It isn’t just important to promote literacy in school, but to encourage literacy development at home. It is safe to say that a student who reads at home with their parents, or students who see their parents reading, has a much better chance of embracing literacy in a positive way.