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Author: Alison

Translanguaging

A smiling person in a suit stands in front of a chalkboard with English and Chinese words and phrases like “How are you?” and “Where are you from?” written in chalk around their head.

by Heather Imorde Heather Imorde has recently joined TIES as a LINC Literacy Instructor. She has a passion for literacy and language and has been working in this space since 2008.   I have recently come across the idea of “translanguaging.” At first glance I liked its notions of language inclusion in a broader, more […]

“My Canadian English” YouTube Channel

A smiling woman with short gray hair stands in front of a lake at sunset. Next to her is a sign with a red maple leaf, reading “My Canadian English with Shona Nichols.”.

by Shona Nichols Shona Nichols loves travelling, teaching English, and being a life-long learner. She has taught in LINC programs in Edmonton, both in-person and online. The COVID-19 pandemic provided the opportunity/inspiration to create her own YouTube channel, My Canadian English. She has a BA (English) and LLB, and will have an MEd (TESL) as […]

Dreaming of my Book Box

A wooden bookshelf filled with rows of assorted books, some standing upright and others stacked horizontally, with colorful and neutral spines visible.

by Katrina Derix-Langstraat Katrina has been teaching adult ESL literacy in Calgary since 2005.  She loves to collaborate and connect with other teachers, in the pursuit of excellence in adult ESL literacy education.     We literacy teachers can be a nerdy bunch.  I fantasize of someday having a classroom with a library of level-appropriate, high-interest […]

My Experience Teaching a CCLB Module: “Dealing with Emergencies” (CLB 1-2)

A woman with braided hair wearing a blue shirt and a face mask looks at a smartphone in her hand, standing against a gray, textured background.

by Patricia LenLINC Literacy Instructor at TIES Teaching the Dealing with Emergencies module was a great, positive experience for me and my students! I teach a full-time Literacy 1/2 split class online. I used this module before the Literacy module was released by the CCLB. There are now three dedicated literacy modules released by the […]

Helping Literacy Learners find Structure in English: Modified Functional Grammar

A hand holding a piece of chalk writes the word "is" on a green chalkboard, underlining and circling the word "John" as part of a sentence written in cursive.

by Jean Campbell Jean Campbell has a passion for helping ESL literacy learners and literacy teachers excel. She is the Literacy Coordinator for the Saskatoon Open Door Society where she has taught LINC literacy-designated classes for 19 years. She has a Master’s Degree in TESOL and wrote and teaches the U of S CerTESL course […]

The Whole-Part-Whole Approach for Literacy Instruction

A hand points to a purple puzzle piece next to a partially completed colorful wooden puzzle on a light brown surface.

by Jeremy Wilson Literacy Centre of Expertise Assistant If you have been teaching EAL literacy for any amount of time or have looked through the CCLB’s ESL for ALL, you have likely come across the model known as Whole-Part-Whole (WPW). Used in many areas where complex skills are being developed (from sports to budgeting to […]

Preparing EAL Literacy Learners for the Canadian Workforce

A smiling man with a beard wearing a light blue shirt shakes hands with another person across a desk, while another man sits beside him holding a coffee cup. An office environment with shelves and plants is in the background.

by Terri Peters Terri Peters has been in the field of adult literacy and learning for the past 20 years. She is currently a learner experience designer and consultant. She loves to develop fun ways to facilitate learning that keeps adults engaged and motivated. Her areas of expertise include adult literacy and learning, workplace essential […]

Breaking Down the Continuum of Reading Skills into Literacy Levels

A young woman with long dark hair is lying down and reading a book, holding it open with both hands. The book’s cover is plain and light-colored. She appears focused and relaxed.

by Donna Clarke Literacy Centre of Expertise Lead Many first-language learners don’t realize the depth of their reading skills. I certainly didn’t until I started teaching literacy learners. In ESL for ALL, these skills are broken down into specific parts. It is a great resource that all literacy teachers should know and use regularly.    The Continuum of […]

Moving ESL Literacy Classes to Virtual Environments

A smiling woman wearing a beige hijab and blazer sits indoors, waving at her laptop during a video call. Bright natural light and green foliage are visible in the background.

by Theresa Wall Theresa Wall is an educational consultant specializing in second language and literacy acquisition. She has worked extensively with LESLLA learners, first as an adult ELL literacy teacher and then in her role as a learning support specialist, where she developed interventions to support learners. Theresa led a group of fabulous teacher-writers in […]

A-C-E: Three Things I Learned While Teaching Literacy

The word "LITERACY" is displayed in large letters, with "ARRIVE" in red above the "A," "CONNECT" in green above the "C," and "ENGAGE" in blue to the right of the "Y," all linked by dotted lines.

by Joanne Hingley Joanne Hingley has been teaching for over 20 years.  She loves following and applying research that represents best practices in the teaching and acquisition of reading, writing and numeration skills.  She is currently teaching a Literacy and Basic English class at TIES. I have three ideas that I keep front and centre […]

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