Course Objectives:

The purpose of this Community Service Learning course is to provide graduate and undergraduate students with language mentoring opportunities, and to provide on-going support for participation in community-based ESL programs such as SHINE, Students Helping in the Naturalization of Elders. Participation will consist primarily of providing language "coaching" (i.e. citizenship preparation, general ESL, etc.) to an individual or small group of immigrants; but may also include such projects as development of curriculum or training modules; developing Bay Area language/ literacy/ citizenship resource materials; teaching a larger group of immigrant learners (for teacher trainees); or other special projects.

Participants will:

receive intensive training in issues of language, literacies and learning
receive orientation to the specific ethnic communities served
become acquainted with an individual or small group of language learners
explore issues relevant to their own major field

Course assignments:

Participants in English 431 will meet bi-weekly as a group, and will complete a range of assignments according to graduate or undergraduate status, as well as area of major interest.

All participants will be expected to:
participate in 12 hours of intensive training in the study of language use and language acquisition among targeted groups;
provide 2-3 hours of language/citizenship coaching per week in a community setting;
maintain weekly logs; receive feedback from teacher and peers;
write a mid-term report based on weekly logs;
write a final report integrating experience with academic work in major;
read selected articles based on populations served and on interests of participants

To receive credit toward a graduate degree, graduate students will choose among the following additional assignments:
develop curriculum materials for use by language learners;
develop training modules for coaches;
develop grant proposals for continuation/expansion of SHINE or other community language/literacy projects;
complete other project of choice pending instructor's approval

Grade will be based on completion of all assignments, consistency of attendance with learners, class participation including provision of feedback to classmates.

Brief Course Description: English 431 offers a community service learning opportunity for students to work with immigrants in community settings to assist them in learning ESL and preparing for naturalization, among other projects. Course projects may supplement or satisfy term project assignments in other courses.