Meet Yi, who works in her family's take-out restaurant, where she does hours of homework each night; Cong, a book lover who yearns for greater expression in his new language; and Jun Jie, who uses English to make sense of his emergence as a young adult in America. These and other middle school students, facing the challenge of adapting to a new home and language, tell their stories in the book Change My Life Forever: Giving Voice to English-Language Learners.
The book, by teacher Maureen Barbiera, uses case studies and classroom vignettes to reveal the power of literacy to change students' perspectives. It also tells the story of how the author helped her students use English literacy skills to construct a bridge between their memories of their native China and their hopes for the future as they came to value both their old and their new cultures.
The book, which costs $24.50, includes practical ideas, examples of student work, and specialized reading lists to enhance learning.
For more information, visit the publisher's website [www.heinemann.com/] or call (603) 431-7894.
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