84 We have found that Simon Says games are a fun and effective way to help learners understand what these action words mean. For instance, “Simon Says scroll down.” We are doing this in the classroom, so the instructor can show the class what to do and can then offer individual support for learners who are struggling with whatever action we are practicing. Diana: The Joy of Teaching Literacy Students Teaching adults is my passion. Currently, I am working mainly with literacy students. That is a different part of ESL that I had not been exposed to during my training and early career. I have since fallen in love with it. Teaching literacy students is both about introducing them to learning skills that they were not able to acquire in their home countries because of lack of access to formal education and also helping them to become literate in English. Lauren: The Excitement of “Figuring It Out” I like being in a classroom with learners who are highly motivated, who have overcome incredible life circumstances to be in that classroom, and who have taken on the challenge of learning how to be independent and interact in a new language. It’s incredibly meaningful. They come into the classroom with what I would call a gracious spirit. It makes for a really rich learning environment. I have the chance to explore so many unique avenues of teaching. Literacy instruction is a new enough area that we’re still figuring it out. It’s exciting to be part of that. Technology Standards and Performance Indicators Here are some key ways in which Diana and Lauren’s teaching methods demonstrate how NLS’s standards for technology-enhanced language teaching and learning can be incorporated into TESOL instruction. Standard 1: Using devices and systems skillfully. Understand and use personal and institutional devices, operating systems, and networks to support quality technology-enhanced language teaching and learning. • Diana and Lauren have been inventive in finding step-by-step methods to help literacy students feel comfortable with digital devices and software at school, in their homes, and while on the move in their communities. Standard 2: Tools and digital resources. Understand and use a basic set of relevant technology resources and tools for language teaching and continue to update and expand this set regularly. • Lauren, Diana, and their colleagues at the ECSSD use a blended approach to teaching language at the literacy level. At this level, in-person classroom instruction is essential during onboarding to bring students up to a basic level of digital skills. It remains important throughout the literacy learning levels as a means of introducing new skills and providing individualized support. Once skills advance to a sufficient level, computer-assisted language learning greatly enriches the learning experience. CC-BY-NC-SA 2025 New Language Solutions Avenue Instructor Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning, version 1.2
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