ESL Classes: Native American Materials
The Application of Native American Materials in Teaching English as a Second Language

The application of the materials from this seminar to the ESL classroom is somewhat complex. These are not history classes, traditional English classes or even anthropology classes in which I could really incorporate an entire unit on Native American history, culture or literature.

The goal of these classes is to teach English to non-native speakers, but within that goal lies the teaching of culture, history, literature, and the issues of transition into a new culture. Therefore, I began to look for materials that might be effectively inserted into intermediate-to-advanced-level multiskills or reading/writing classes.

Materials selected would need to be comprehensible to students at those levels and not demand a great deal of background on the complexities of Native American history and culture. Nevertheless, before beginning any Native American topics, I would give the students a map showing the locations and names of the various tribes. It is very easy (especially among new immigrants) to assume that "Native American" is an all-encompassing term, whereas each tribe has its own unique culture. This has been a primal point made by the scholars of this seminar.

As I began to think about my experiences with ESL students, several ideas regarding Native American materials and perspectives came to mind:

1. The topic of Native Americans is an interesting one for ESL students, and few of these students have a background in Native American history or culture.
2. The problem of being a liminal personality and how this is addressed is an important issue for immigrants as well as Native Americans. It is a question of how to avoid getting stuck between two worlds, two cultures.
3. The use of legends, myths, story telling, rituals, dreams and magic are predominant in the Native American cultures, and these things are as universal and as old as time. They could be an important link between a Native American perspective and the student's own culture.
4. Finally, it seems to me that one of the most effective methods of teaching ESL students is through literature . . . the reading and writing of it. Many of these students truly appreciate writing of depth and beauty, and long to express their own stories with that same beauty and depth.

It is within these parameters that I have selected the following materials. These ideas are just a sampling of ways to include Native American materials in ESL classes and to make Native Americans and their culture more visible. It's a beginning.