“Citizenship Prep” Resources and Strategies

for the USCIS Citizenship Interview

3rd Annual English Literacy and Civics

Education ConferenceJanuary 24, 2014

Mt. San Antonio College

Jennifer GagliardiMilpitas Adult Schooljgagliar@musd.org

ppt available at

www.uscitizenpod.com

Citizenship Class Hours

Tuesday and Thursday 6:00-9pm

Typical Class Schedule:6:00 Watch Citizenship Videos or a Practice interview ex:

Success at your INS Interview or Citizenship Today

6:-:630 Vocabulary Review and Quiz: Alphabet, Numbers, Dates, Addresses, New Citizenship Vocabulary words, etc.

6:30-7:30 Read and Discuss Citizenship Textbook:Citizenship: Ready for the Interview by Lynn Weintraubor other textbooks

7:30-7:45 Break

7:45-8:15 Further discussion about the Citizenship Textbook reading

8:15-8:30 Dictation and Quiz

8:30-9:00 Practice Citizenship Interviews

Textbooks• Cengage/Heinle 2010

o US Citizen, Yes!, 3rd ed.

• New Readers Press o Ready for the Interviewo Citizenship Passing the Testo Citizenship Literacy Skills workbook

• Pearson-Longman 2009o Voices of Freedom, 4th ed.o Future U.S. Citizens (*ebook, 2011)

• Cambridge12/08/08o Citizenship Now! CD/DVD

Best DVD:

An McDowell’s Citizenship: Success at Your CIS Interview 2008

ESL/Citizenship Enrichment“Holding the Bag” (a high beginning ESL novel) by Ana Gianola, 978-1-56420-544-5

Negasi is a Washington DC taxi driver from Ethiopia who has been in the U.S. for many years and has a family. He accidentally becomes involved in a robbery and faces a moral issue.

uscitizenpod: Prepare for your citizenship interview and Martin Luther King Day with a multiple choice test about Krestos Negasi's interview and 10 USCIS questions. (pdf)

Class Requirements• Attend classes on Tue/Thu 6:00-9:00pm

• Participate in class activities.

• Take an ESL Placement Test• ESL Placement test are given every 2 months. (Plan ahead!)• Call 408-635-2692 for test dates.

• Take two CASAS ESL tests.• A Pre-test and Post test show student learning gains.• Citizenship students will take their ESL CASAS tests in the

Citizenship class.

• Take two U.S. History & Government CASAS Tests.

• Pass one oral Interview (based on the N-400).

Speak English, please!• An applicant's verbal skills are determined by the applicant's

answers to questions normally asked by USCIS Officers during

the naturalization eligibility interview.

• USCIS Officers are required to repeat and rephrase questions until the Officer is satisfied that the applicant either fully under- stands the question or does not

understand English. • If the applicant generally understands and can respond

meaningfully to questions relevant to the determination of eligibility, the applicant has demonstrated the ability to speak English.

From: Scoring Guidelines for the English Portion of the Naturalization Test

Low Intermediate ESL? CASAS Basic Skill Levels

for Oral Language

• SPL 4 Functions satisfactorily in basic survival and very routine social and work situations.

• Participates in simple face-to-face conversations dealing with familiar topics.

• Gives oral directions to do a familiar personal or work-related task of several steps.

• Participates in simple telephone conversations.

• Makes statements, asks and answers questions in the simple present, past and future tenses on familiar topics.

USDOE Nat’l Reporting System Educational Functional Levels

• Individual can understand simple learned phrases and limited new phrases containing familiar vocabulary spoken slowly with frequent repetition;

• can ask and respond to questions using such phrases;

• can express basic survival needs and participate in some routine social conversations, although with some difficulty;

• and has some control of basic grammar.

CASAS ResourcesLife and Work Reading ESL Test Series

• Model Standard: Interpret simple authentic materials on familiar topics (newspaper articles on current events, social letters, public information notices)

Erika’s Fingerprint Appointment Notice!

Sample questions:

Where do you for fingerprinting from Monday to Friday?

When do you need an appointment for fingerprinting?

FINGERPRINTINGRoom 108

M - F 8 am – 4 pmNo appt. necessary.

Sat. by appointment only Room 109

Pre-test 185R #4

CASAS Reading for Citizenship Tests (951R/952R)

•Target population: Low beginning ESL students

•Competencies Assessed: Reading comprehension in a citizenship context (These tests do not measure knowledge of the government and history of the United States.)

•Test Administration: ◦One-on-one or group administration◦Multiple-choice questions◦Large-print, reusable test booklet

CASAS Implementation Training is required to administer the Reading for Citizenship Tests.

CASAS Citizenship Interview Test (CIT) The Citizenship Interview Test (CIT) is a standardized oral assessment that assesses the speaking skills of adult ESL and citizenship learners.

The CIT helps programs determine if an individual is ready to pass the USCIS naturalization interview.

• Target population: High beginning to advanced ESL students

• Competencies Assessed: Personal identification

• Topics from the N-400 Application for Naturalization This test does not measure knowledge of the US gov’t and history.

• Test Administration: One-on-one interview format (approx. 15 to 20 minutes )

• Training is required to administer this test. A self-training manual provides a training CD and certification exercises.

CASAS Gov’t/History LISTENING TEST for Citizenship formerly CASAS Citizenship Field Test 889, supersedes 963/964

Practice1. Red and black2. Red, white, and blue3. Black and white4. White, gold, and green

Question 11. John Adams2. Thomas Jefferson3. George Washington4. Alexander Hamilton

• Multiple choice listening test.

• Students listen to thirty recorded questions.

• Each question is repeated twice.

• The questions are based on the new 100 questions.

• Practice audio files are available at:https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=3231

CASAS EL Civics Objective ExampleELC: Citizenship Preparation 40.4 (Oral, Written Beginning Low – Advanced)

Respond to questions about the history and government of the US in order to be successful in the naturalization process.1 *Discuss basic historical events or patriotic symbols. 2 *Describe the colors and design of the American flag and discuss the meaning of the stars and stripes. 3 *Identify the three branches of American government. 5 *Write dictated sentences about U.S. history and government. 6 *Name the President of the United States, the Governor of California, the Mayor of the city, and other government officials. 7 Read, discuss, and/or write about issues relating to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Additional Tasks: 1. Prepare for a USCIS Interview

1.Student will participate in a mock oral USCIS interview.

2. Practice Dictation3. Write a Letter or an Article related to the Constitution or Bill of Rights

uscitizenpod.com• Daily posts about

citizenship preparation– USCIS news– US Government news– N-400 and USCIS 100q

• Student work• N-400 scripts• Podcasts• Videos• Quizzes• Audio

USCIS.gov1. Forms: N-400 Application for Naturalization and other forms

2. Citizenship: Apply for and learn about Citizenship

3. Español: USCIS.gov en Español

4. Check your Case Status

5 Make an InfoPass Appointment

2

3

1

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www.uscis.gov/citizenship

Beginning, Intermediate, and Theme Handouts that encompass all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

www.uscis.gov/citizenship/teachers/lesson-plans-and-activities

Study Materials for the English Test: Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview: Self-Test 1

http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Section%20Items/INTERACTIVE%20Section%20Items/Vocabulary%20Activities%20for%20the%20Naturalization%20Test/uscis-vocabulary-test-1/uscis_test1.html

Study Materials for the English Test: Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview: Self-Test 2

http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Section%20Items/INTERACTIVE%20Section%20Items/Vocabulary%20Activities%20for%20the%20Naturalization%20Test/uscis-vocabulary-test-2/uscis_test2.html

Study Materials for the English Test: Understanding Commands for the Naturalization Interview

http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Section%20Items/INTERACTIVE%20Section%20Items/Vocabulary%20Activities%20for%20the%20Naturalization%20Test/uscis-vocabulary-test-3/uscis_test3.html

Study Materials for the Civics Testwww.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/study-test/study-materials-civics-test

americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/

Quick List of Internet Resources• CASAS Bibliography of Citizenship Materials

https://www.casas.org/home/?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=808

• EL Civics www.elcivics.com

• ClinicLegal.org Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc http://cliniclegal.org/resources/translations-citizenship-test

• OTAN: ESL/Citizenship/EL Civics: Sites to Use with Students http://www.otan.us/browse/index.cfm?fuseaction=browse&catid=10607&showlinks=true

• OTAN Jefferson Adult School citizenship Moodle (Kay Johnson) http://moodle.otan.us/course/enrol.php?id=47 (requires enrollment)

• SPL.org (King County) Seattle Public Library Citizenship Resources http://www.spl.org/audiences/literacy-and-esl/citizenship-help

• SFPL.org San Francisco Public Library Citizenship Resources http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000011201

• USCIS www.uscis.gov , USCIS on YouTube and USCIS on Twitterand USCIS Citizenship Resource Center www.uscis.gov/citizenship

• uscitizenpod.com also on Facebook, YouTube, & Twitter/

• VOANews and VOAVideo on YouTube www.youtube.com/user/VOAvideo

EL/Civics Online

• EL/Civics Online is a unique professional development opportunity for ESL instructors and volunteers who wish to incorporate EL/Civics content into their adult ESL classrooms. 

citizenshipworks.org/prepare/

Financing Citizenship• The New American

s Campaign• Citizenship Works• National Immigrati

on Forum: The Bethlehem Project

• Opportunity Fund• www.uscitizenpod.com/2014/01/the-

new-americans-campaign.htmlSeveral organizations are trying educate their communities about the immigration and citizenship process plus assist with financing.

I-90 Fee Waiver• USCIS acknowledges that increased fees

represent a burden to low-income applicants.– Household income must be 150% below Federal

Poverty Guidelines.

• I-90 request household financial information.

• Applicants (who request a fee waiver) must submit I-90 with N-400 (or other forms)

The EndFor further information, see• CASAS.ORG

https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=674

• CASAS.ORG/ELC https://www.casas.org/elc/index.cfm?fuseaction=COAAPSList.welcome

• USCIS.GOV• USCITIZENPOD.COM For further info, contact Jennifer Gagliardi at

gagliajn@yahoo.com or uscitizenpod@gmail.com. Thanks to the students and staff of Milpitas Adult School, SJSU

MATESOL, and the USCIS.

In love and gratitude to the immigrants to the United States!

Thanks, Teacher!

www.uscitizenpod.com

We love you!