Useful Resources for CCVT Volunteers

Torture and Second Language Acquisition

The Classroom Environment

Structure is extremely important in any classroom. Whether the instructor chooses a loose and informal structure or a more regimented one makes little difference. What matters is that the instructor establishes the parameters of accepted behaviour for the class. Any learner is most comfortable when s/he knows what is expected of her/him. This is particularly true of survivors of torture. The after-effects of torture often culminate in making the survivor feel disoriented. Disrupted sleep patterns, depression, side effects of prescribed medication all contribute to this condition. Therefore, for many survivors of torture, to be able to establish structure in one's day-to-day schedule is the first step in a more extended process of becoming re-oriented. The following are suggestions of how the ESL classroom can contribute to this goal.

Attendance

Survivors of torture, like any immigrant group must deal with a varied and vast number of challenges when settling into a new society. Some of these include obtaining legal, medical and social assistance; finding a job and coping with family issues. In addition to these challenges they must also deal with the after effects of surviving an extremely traumatic event. This process involves addressing the emotional and psychological impact of torture. Although, arguably, learning the language of the host society is the single most valuable tool the survivor can attain, in light of all the above-mentioned pressing concerns, attending English class is not always a priority with many learners. For this reason attendance requires special consideration.

Instructors may feel uncomfortable when addressing problems involving poor attendance and tardiness with survivors of torture. Given the problems these learners are dealing with, the instructor may feel that poor attendance and an inability to come to class on time are acceptable. Often, these patterns are indeed symptomatic of greater problems. In these cases the instructor should take the time to meet with the learner and discuss a new arrangement that can be reasonably met by the learner. In other cases, however, learners may feel that attendance and showing up on time are not important as they may observe other learners being late and/or absent without any reaction from the instructor. This is a situation that must be avoided as it not only makes it difficult to achieve consistency in learning, but it gives learners the unspoken message that English class need not be a priority. This is particularly detrimental for the survivor who has a diminished sense of confidence and self-esteem. Rebuilding confidence and self-esteem in the classroom is as important as teaching language skills. If the learner feels from the outset that English class is unimportant, then the activities that take place in that class could also be construed as such.

When encouraging learners to attend class regularly it is also important to keep in mind that survivors must frequently battle depression. For this reason alone, it is often beneficial for him/her to be in a positive environment with other individuals focusing on a specific task, as opposed to being alone and isolated at home. A number of strategies that encourage regular attendance and punctuality are as follows:

Learners can be asked to take responsibility for attendance records. Instead of the instructor marking attendance s/he sets up a large piece of paper at the back of the room (somewhere unobtrusive) with students' names to one side. Each day the learner, upon arriving in class, marks him/herself present. If s/he misses a class, upon his/her return s/he marks an 'A' for absent. If s/he is late, s/he marks an 'L' for late. No attention is ever drawn to the sheet and when the idea is introduced to learners, the instructor can explain that it is helpful to him/her if the learners mark in their own attendance, etc. By physically having to mark in absences and lateness, however, the learner becomes more conscious of it and hopefully will make added effort to attend class regularly and punctually.
Do a written exercise at the beginning of each term focusing on reasons why learners should attend i.e. I should come to class because a) I might miss something important b) my ideas are important to all the learners c) I might forget what we have recently learned . This can also be integrated into a grammar lesson as well where learners are asked to use various structures to show reason or purpose i.e. because, in order to, to, for.
Get in the habit of having students complete a written assignment at the end class. At the beginning of the following class take up the answers or project them on an overhead for the first ten minutes of class allowing students to self-correct their work. Whichever method you use do not take more than ten minutes for this activity.

Room Set Up

When instructors consider room set up they are primarily concerned with the placement of desks, flipcharts and boards. For survivors it is equally important that the classroom not be cramped or confining. Many survivors have spent time in prison and spending prolonged periods of time in a room where they may feel they cannot leave can result in discomfort at best or a panic attack at worst. The instructor can take a number of simple steps to avoid this happening. The following are a number of suggestions:

Keep the door of the classroom open as much as possible. If outside noise prohibits this, inform learners that if they need a break at any time during the lesson, they are free to step outside for a few moments.
Keep blinds and curtains open to make the room as open as possible.
If the weather permits, keep at least one window open.
Ask the class how they would like the room to look and get them to organize it.

Learner Participation

A brief word needs to be said on the subject of learner participation. As language instructors we know that in order to acquire a new language the learner must practice it as much as possible. For this reason we go out of our way in the classroom to encourage learners to participate in activities and to use new structures wherever possible. This isn't always the best approach when teaching survivors of torture, however. Sometimes a survivor might feel uncomfortable with particular topics. Discussing family relationships, for example, can be very painful for a survivor who has lost family members. Some survivors may not feel physically or psychologically capable of participating on some days. For these reasons it is strongly advised that the instructor inform learners, before delving into a lesson, what is on the agenda and why. This way the learner can prepare him/herself and decide whether s/he can handle the lesson. The instructor should also let learners know that they have the option of not participating if they so choose. This way learners do not feel pressured to participate. The instructor may wish to create a space for a "quiet corner" where readings and/or other activities relevant to the unit being covered can be pursued. This allows the learners the option of not participating publicly but allows them to continue work independently.