Improving a community college conversation club : helping adult ESL learners to develop oral communication skills : action thesis

Author

Jesús Ochoa-Villicaña, California State University, Monterey Bay

Date

2005

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Teacher Education

Abstract

Latino adult ESL students at Hartnell College are the main groups who attend this community college. There are a variety of reasons why they decided to come to college, but for sure, one reason they have in common is that all these learners came to learn English as a Second Language. Many of these ESL students, however, do not accomplish their main goals because they do not have the opportunity to practice enough conversational skills in English. This Action Research project aims to improve the Conversation Club that Mr. Henderson, the Hartnell Community College Tutorial Center Coordinator, created last spring to help students to develop oral communication in English. This thesis addresses the importance of developing the speaking skills of ESL learners at Hartnell College to support the existing club. This thesis suggests different strategies to improve the conversation club, including making the club a formal class to provide ESL learners with skills other classes at Hartnell College had not offered before. Also, this thesis addresses issues on how to support ESL students who need conversational skills in English.

Comments

Thesis (M.A.) Teacher Education Department

Recommended Citation

Ochoa-Villicaña, Jesús, "Improving a community college conversation club : helping adult ESL learners to develop oral communication skills : action thesis" (2005). Capstone Projects and Master's Theses. 538.
https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_restricted/538