The Center for Applied Linguistics is pleased to announce the launch of an enhanced web site for our adult ESL assessments, BEST Plus and BEST Literacy. The site was redesigned to provide comprehensive information about our assessments for both prospective and current users and to share other resources of interest to all working with adult English language learners.
Learn more.

The Working Group on ELL Policy, a group of researchers with extensive experience in the education of English language learners (ELLs), has prepared a set of recommendations for the reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Working Group’s recommendations cover five core areas of ESEA policy and focus on improving education outcomes for English language learners. Learn more.

Upcoming SOPA Online Training Courses
Registration is now open for the May moderated SOPA Online Training courses. Courses are set when a minimum number of teachers (usually 12 - 15) have enrolled.

• Moderated Introduction to the SOPA
  Learn about the SOPA through interactive lessons led by an experienced SOPA trainer.
  
• Rating the SOPA
  Improve your SOPA rating skills using language-specific SOPA interviews at a variety of proficiency levels.

Learn more and register.

For future course availability, bookmark the ELA web site.

Teaching Reading to English Language Learners - Upcoming Institutes
CAL is continuing its successful series of institutes on teaching reading to English language learners. We will offer the following institutes in Washington, DC, in 2010.

Visit our web site to learn more or to register today for any of the upcoming institutes.

Education for Adult English Language Learners in the United States:
Trends, Research, and Promising Practices
This online publication, now available in print, helps practitioners improve services for adults learning English by describing the current state of education for these learners. Topics focus on issues such as instructional programs, professional development, and future directions in English literacy education and lifelong learning. Learn more.

Forbidden Language: English Learners and Restrictive Language Policies
This publication from Teachers College Press pulls together recent research on the effects of restrictive language policies on English language learners, with a focus on what is known about outcomes in states where these policies have been adopted. An overview of English language learners in the United States and a brief history of policies that have guided their instruction provides background to the discussion of issues related to these policies.
Learn more.

Reflective Writing: A Way to Lifelong Teacher Learning
This online book from TESL-EJ Publications talks about the value of reflective writing for understanding and improving instructional practice and the value of connecting with other practitioners both locally and around the world.
Learn more and download the free PDF.