Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Phonics for
Adult ESL Students
LINC Themes
Health
&
Communications
Transportation &
Safety
Media
Employment Family
Life
Community
&
Housing Commercial Government
Services
Canada
Leisure Canadian
Education
Law
Sophie Wang’s
Phonics Book
for
Adult ESL
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2010 Canadian Resources for ESL All rights reserved
FAQ
Q: Can I make a copy for a teacher so she can photocopy from the photocopy for her
students?
A: Photocopying from a photocopy of this book is known as a pirate copy and is illegal.
Isn’t it better just to purchase the book with photocopy permission for less than $50?
Q: Can I borrow this book from a resource centre or library, then photocopy it?
A: No, that would be copyright violation. You only get a photocopy license if you purchase
the book or your school has purchased site photocopy permission.
Printed in Canada
Canadian Resources for ESL
15 Ravina Crescent Toronto Ontario Canada M4J 3L9
tel 416-466-7875 toll free 866-833-9485 fax 416-466-4383
www.eslresources.com email thane@eslresources.com
ISBN 978-1-894799-67-6
Introduction
A. Why Thematic Phonics?
No matter which literacy approach a teacher may favour, Whole Language or Phonics,
learning to decode on the letter-level is an inevitable process for one to become a
successful reader. I have used phonics textbooks designed for early education students
or illiterate adult native speakers in my class because there are not many phonics books
written specifically for adult ESL literacy. These books can be quite handy and effective
to introduce certain concepts of phonics; however, they are often not a good fit for
adult ESL literacy students’ needs. Here is a good example. A 57 year old man started
my class. He had been in Canada for 30 years, and was illiterate in his first language
Punjabi, and English. His motivation for coming to school was to pass the Canadian
citizenship test, but the related vocabulary would not be covered in a standard phonics
workbook. His beginning point to prepare for the test was learning the alphabet.
Creating my own phonic sheet I taught him to read and write “Canada.” Then he asked
me, “Canada. Why does c sound like k?” We had our first phonics lesson introducing
initial c /k/ with the words “coast” and “capital.” He was focused during the whole
session, and when he was able to decode “Arctic” on a map by the first vowel sound, he
was quite excited, saying, “English is not that hard!”
I still had some doubts about this way of introducing phonics: vocabulary around the
citizenship test would not be considered ideal for early literacy students. Two or three
syllable words are not the traditional way to present basic phonics elements. I noticed
my student enjoyed the ABC song and never considered it “childish.” I decided to bring
in a textbook worksheet on short vowel “a” with 3-letter words and pictures. When my
student saw the worksheet, he was not excited to see those “easy” words. He asked, “Is
this for kids?” Yes, the worksheet was from a book written for children. Although the
worksheet was a great phonics exercise, it was not age appropriate for my student. He
could develop some degree of phonemic awareness with short vowel “a” from the work-
sheet, but he would probably get by in his daily life without using any of the words from
the activity, such as bat and ant. I compiled an age appropriate phonics book for adult
ESL students with practical vocabulary for adults.
In this book I keep a balanced approach mixing Phonics with Whole Language while build-
ing basic reading and writing decoding skills around practical vocabulary and structures -
vocabulary and structures that an adult learner uses in their daily communication at
school and in the community. Each unit focuses on one target sound or a sound group,
which is introduced in a dialogue. The dialogue is followed by exercises using all four
skills, reinforcing the letter-sound correspondence. After all, decoding the print
information can be easier when the learners are orally familiar with the content.
B. Some Unique Aspects of Teaching Phonics to ESL Adults
1. Reading, Vocabulary Building and Oral Fluency
When children get to the age to learn how to read, most of them have acquired speaking
fluency and aural repertoire. The oral vocabulary they use frequently in speaking can be
easily recognized as reading vocabulary when they see or hear it in reading. It is not
necessary for children to produce a perfect pronunciation to match the word they
already know from spoken language (Beck, 2006). However, such matching for adult ESL
literacy learners may take a longer or a different process as they face the challenge of
learning both the sound and the meaning of words at the same time. As orality and
literacy lie on a continuum, second language (L2) literacy can never be considered in
isolation from L2 oral communicative competence (Jones, 1996).
ESL literacy learners also need to master some vocabulary for phonics development. For
example, the consonant digraph /ch/ can be introduced with the following words:
cherries, chicken, chips, cheese. Once the students are familiar with the single words,
they can be applied in a short dialogue.
Sophie Wang
Table 1: Phonics Concepts for Learning/Teaching at Different ESL Literacy Benchmark Levels
(Source: Canadian Language Benchmarks 2000: ESL for Literacy Learners)
Reading Writing
ESL Literacy
Benchmarks
Foundation Initial Trace and copy upper and lower case letters
Recognize/point to and recite the alphabet by
memory. Read lower case letter name in isola-
tion from memory. Read upper case letters by
name
Developing
Recognize basic sight words used in forms by
providing oral or actional response
In lower case letters
In upper case
In upper and lower case
Phase I Initial Initial
Name all letters of alphabet in random order Begin to understand and use basic spelling
both upper and lower case conventions
Recognize Use phonics to write initial consonant and
Initial consonant sounds in sight words short vowel sounds in words
and phonetic words Fill in the missing initial consonant or short
Initial short vowel sounds in sight words vowel sound in rhyming word groups
such as _as, _ as, _ad, _ad
Copy or write a small bank of sight words
Copy or write word groups with varying initial
consonants
Developing Developing
Name all letters of alphabet in random order Begin to understand and use basic spelling
both upper and lower case conventions
Recognize and discriminate between Use phonics to write initial and medial conso-
Final consonant sounds in sight words and nants in words
phonetic words, such as him, his, hit Copy or write a bank of sight words
Medial consonant sounds in sight words Fill in the missing final consonant sound in
word groups of 3 letter words such as ba_,
ba_, ba_
Adequate Adequate
Read using phonics Begin to understand and use basic spelling
3 letter words with short vowel sounds in me- conventions
dial position, such as cat, hat, rat, sat, cot, cut Use phonics to write the short vowel sound in
medial position
Copy a greater bank of sight words
Write a number of sight words from memory
Write word groups with varying initial and
final consonants and varying medial short
vowels
sat cup ten big
Phase II Initial Initial
Read words using phonics Use
Initial and final consonant blends Phonics to write short vowels in initial and
br, dr, fl, gl, sm, sp, st, ng, nk medial position
Initial and final consonant digraphs Invented spelling
sh, ch, th, tch
Final consonant combinations
ff, ss, ck
Developing Developing
Read words using phonics Use
Two syllable words with short vowel Phonics to write words with long vowels with
sounds the final –e ending
address rabbit Invented spelling
Words with long vowel sounds that have
the silent e
Final suffixes – tion, sion, station
Adequate Adequate
Compare and contrast words with Use
long and short vowel sounds Phonics to write words with short and long
cap cape vowels
“r” controlled vowels in single syllable Compare and contrast vowel blends such as
words ee, ea
ar, or, ir, ur, er Invented spelling
Multi-syllable words
computer weather mirror
ACTIVITY INDEX
CONSONANTS
c as in Canada
Activities Skills/Competencies Grouping Min. Page
What country are they
Listening comprehension Whole class 10 1
talking about?
Whole class/
Labelling Copying, vocabulary about Canada 15 2
individual
Circle the same Accuracy in reading Individual 10 3
Listening discrimination on initial
Listen and circle Individual 10 4
consonant c
Read the story Reading comprehension Individual/pair 15 5
Sentence completion and Speaking, wh-questions in simple
Individual and pair 15 6
dialogue practice present tense
Reading and speaking, wh- ques-
Matching, dialogue practice Pair 15 7
tions in simple present tense
ch as in chicken
What do they order? Listening comprehension Whole class 10 8
Game variations: matching, memo-
Flashcards of food Pair/small group 20 9, 10
rizing, fishing
Word search Reading, vocabulary on food Individual 10 11
Consonants in both initial and me-
Fill in the blanks Individual/pair 15 12
dial positions
Listening discrimination on conso-
Listen, circle and copy nant ch in initial, medial and final Individual 15 13
positions
Fill in blanks and dialogue Yes/No question with verb “to
Individual 15 14
practice "be”, short answers
Role play A sample restaurant menu Small group 20 15
p as in parking
Where is the parking lot? Listening comprehension Whole class 10 16
Listening for consonant p, traffic
Listen and circle Whole class 10 17
signs
Listening and speaking, traffic
TPR Pair/small group 15 18, 19
signs
Where can you park? Reading signs Small group 15 20
Listen and circle, finish
Listening discrimination, copying Individual 15 21
words
Information gap Listening and speaking Pair 15 22, 23
r as in library
I need to borrow a movie Listening comprehension Whole class 10 24
Cross out the odd ones Vocabulary of library services Whole class 10 25
th as in Thursday
Circle or on food
Reading with own experience Individual 10 72
vocabulary
i as in bin
Listening comprehension, discus-
What’s in your house? Whole class 15 76
sion
u as in truck
What’s the problem? Listening comprehension Whole class 10 92
ee as in sleep
When do you go to sleep? Listening comprehension Whole class 10 108
oo as in zoo
What do you see at a zoo? Listening comprehension Whole class 10 124
Listening discrimination on
Listen and circle Individual 10 133
names with long vowels
Listening discrimination on
Listen and circle names with long vowels, wh- Individual 15 134
questions
Information gap Scanning, speaking Pair/small group 20 135-138
CD
AUDIO TRACKS
Track Page Title
1 1 c as in Canada dialogue
4 8 ch as in chicken dialogue
7 16 p as in parking dialogue
11 24 r as in library dialogue
14 30 Write the word for each picture that you hear your teacher
spell.
15 33 th as in Thursday dialogue
24 76 i as in bin dialogue
26 84 o as in shopping dialogue
29 92 u as in trunk dialogue
32 104 a as in paper
c as in Canada
CD
1
Coco: It is cold.
Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485 1
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only
Consonants: c as in Canada Canadian Society - Canada
What sound does “c” make in Canada? Read the words aloud with your teacher. CD
2
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
2 Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only
Consonants: c as in Canada Canadian Society - Canada
1. Canada
Canada panda
adaptable capital
coffee toffee
snoring canoeing
cold gold
camping damping
1.__________ 4. __________
2.__________ 5. __________
3.__________ 6. __________
4 Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only
Consonants: c as in Canada Canadian Society - Canada
We live in Canada.
It is a big country.
Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485 5
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only
Consonants: c as in Canada Canadian Society - Canada
It is ___________.
It is ___________.
6 Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only
Consonants: c as in Canada Canadian Society - Canada
Questions:
Answers:
1. We live in Canada.
2. It is cold.
3. It is cool.
Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485 7
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only
Consonants: ch as in chicken Commercial Services - Eating Out
ch as in chicken
CD
4
8 Phonics for Adult ESL Students - Sophie Wang © 2010 www.eslresources.com 1-866-833-9485
Photocopiable by the Purchasing Teacher for Her/His Students Only