Letter to Parents or Guardians January 23, 2009

Re: A Survey

Dear Parent or Guardian:

I am an English professor and director of the English Credential Program at San Jos� State University in San Jose, CA. I have received a research grant from ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English) for a study entitled “Learning from Their Own Stories: Using YA Literature to Build Literacy in English Language Learners.” As a part of my research, I am surveying adolescent English language learners. I am asking permission to have your child complete an on-line questionnaire; I am including a copy of the questionnaire below. Please note, I am not asking for names or any specific identifying features except to get a sense of the size and type of school, the age and gender of respondents, and their language background.

If you agree that your child can participate in this survey, please send me an acknowledgement of your permission to your child’s English teacher.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Survey for Using YA Literature to Build Literacy in English Language Learners

Age: Grade Level:                          Gender:

Type of High School:

Size of High School:

Number of years you've studied English

Language (s) spoken in your home

Are you in any special class for English? (e.g. ELD, SDAIE)

1. What would help improve your comprehension of English?

2. What topics interest you?

3. What books have you read that you like and would suggest to other English learners?.

4. What authors do you know and what books or works by these writers to you enjoy?

Thank you for your input on this survey.

Dr. Mary Warner, Associate Professor of English/Director of the English Credential Program

Department of English and Comparative Literature

College of Humanities and the Arts

San Jos� State University

One Washington Square

San Jose, CA 95192-0090

Email: mwarner@email.sjsu.edu

Web page: http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/mary.warner