Preparing Adult English Learners to Read for College and the Workplace

The ability to read effectively--to work with a text, understand its meaning, and talk and write about it with, and for, others--is a critical aspect of academic and workplace success. However, many adults who are learning English as a second or additional language do not have the skills needed to be successful and may drop out of college and university programs before they reach their goal. Bringing together a rich collection of topics and authors, this edited volume provides theory, research, and instructional approaches to help adult education ESL practitioners work effectively with adult learners and prepare them to be successful with reading in academic and workplace settings.

After reading this book, adult ESL practitioners will be able to

• Prepare adults learning English to apply appropriate reading strategies to a variety of academic and professional contexts and purposes
• Use instructional strategies, including digital technology, to help struggling and developing readers close gaps in skills and conceptual knowledge
• Improve reading comprehension through robust vocabulary instruction
• Enhance reading skills and comprehension through writing instruction that balances sentence-level, discourse, and interactive processes and practices
• Inspire students to become lifelong readers who engage in extensive reading outside of school and professional contexts

Kirsten Schaetzel is an English Language Specialist at Emory University.
Joy Kreeft Peyton is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC.
Rebeca Fernández is Associate Professor of Writing and Educational Studies at Davidson College.