The “Dog Days of Summer” became an Online Learning Center phenomenon for a High Intermediate English Language Learning class recently.
ELL Instructor (and Dog Lover) Leigh Smith began a “Dog Days” unit to draw on and build reading, writing, speaking and listening skills comparatively early in the season – back in May, starting with a focus on dogs at war by reading and discussing the chapter “A Soldier’s Best Friend” from an Usborne Level 3 reader Animals at War. Her class then moved into a full-length reading of Jon Katz’s book A Good Dog, about the life and work of a troubled Border Collie and his interesting owner from New Jersey who lives just over the line from Vermont in New York. By tackling a chapter a week, the class assumed various tasks: identifying grammar forms, building vocabulary, writing timed responses to prompts, creating discussion questions, and more. We responded to various students’ emotional tune-in to the text; one reported, “After reading [that chapter], I stayed up all night.”
As the summer progressed, the class of about 15 students also viewed a live demonstration of a mobility dog for a disabled Vermont resident suffering from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and fibromyalgia. Students were encouraged to listen to a short presentation and list of commands the dog can respond to, as well as direct relevant questions within a designated time back to the owner. A photo of service dog Kobuk retrieving something from the fridge early in his career is shown above.
Author Jon Katz speaking to Leigh Smith’s ELL Class
The climax of the unit came on September 26, when the renowned author of 26 books, including A Good Dog, Jon Katz, spoke to our class. Jon identified readily with the class as he is himself the son of refugees. He connected spectacularly with students as they fielded questions about the role of his Border Collies on Bedlam Farm, and contrasted how dogs are viewed in their own cultures. Katz reported after the interview: “I enjoyed it… great questions, nice feeling….”
Dogs may not be every VAL student’s best friend, but to this group of students new to American culture, our days reading about this ubiquitous, helpful animal broadened their English skills in significant ways – no bones about it!