ESL Literacy

There are numerous factors that affect how quickly learners will progress in their English studies. In addition to motivation, support systems and health, your learner's level of education in her primary language also affects the rate of second language learning.

If your learner is an ESL literacy learner (preliterate, nonliterate, or semiliterate learner), you may find that some time will be needed to develop preliminary skills. Some learners will have difficulty holding a pencil and may not understand the importance of lines on paper, or the meaning of written symbols. Some learners may even have difficulty distinguishing the similarities and differences between written symbols (or letters).

Exercises, such as the one highlighted below, can assist learners in distinguishing the similarities and differences between letters.

Circle the matching shape

A B D A E
F H L T F
D B D P G
L I T V L
P P D D M
M N W M A

If this proves to be too difficult for the learner, other exercises (which focus on easier to distinguish shapes such as circles and triangles) could be used.

A learner who has spent all his life recognizing that a cow is a cow whether it faces left or right will not instantly appreciate the significance of the difference between p and q without it being pointed out. 1

1 Jill Bell and B. Burnaby, A Handbook for ESL Literacy. (Toronto, Ontario: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1984), p. 35. Used by permission.