Greetings!
I am a head teacher at an international school in Belgium. This method of literacy education was suggested to me by another professional as a potential program, and thus I am thoroughly researching the possibility of implementation.
As we are an international school, we have a high percentage of “true beginner” English speakers that attend our school (for example, this year we have approximately 20% of our students who have never spoken, read, or written in the English language).
Admittedly, I have NOT yet finished reading the CAFE book, though I am avidly reading it at the moment. I’ve looked through this forum briefly, but haven’t found a topic that addresses the burning question of:
Without a bilingual speaker in the room, how can one implement CAFE in a year-level class in which you have both native English speakers and true beginners?
Obviously, the materials are not a problem. Finding differentiated and enjoyable reading is not a matter of great concern for us. However, how does a true beginner even start to understand the concepts of CAFE? How can you conference with that student? The general consensus on language education for EFL students is the mastery of confident speaking skills (especially as the child gets older - say a Year 4 or Year 5 student), and thus that student knows (presumably) how to read in his or her native language. The emphasis is naturally on speaking, and so the needs of those students are vastly different than a native speaker of the same age level.
Solutions? Suggestions? I’m “all ears”!
