scholarly journals Helping Preservice Content-Area Teachers Relate to English Language Learners: An Investigation of Attitudes and Beliefs

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Pappamihiel
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Immigrant Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Area ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Content Area Teachers ◽  
Safe Learning Environment

In the United States and Canada, as in many other countries, it has become common for teachers not specifically trained in English as a second language (ESL) to have immigrant and minority language students in their classrooms. These students, who are generally learning English along with the culture of their new countries, present many challenges for their teachers, who are often not appropriately trained to meet their needs. Often teachers of mathematics, science, and other content-area courses feel less than prepared for these students and lack the skills needed to accommodate instruction to their unique needs. In addition, these same teachers often harbor attitudes and beliefs about immigrant students that are not conducive to the development of a safe learning environment and are difficult to alter. This article describes how a community-based service-learning project (CBSL) was used to begin to investigate the attitudes and beliefs of preservice content-area teachers toward English language learners (ELLs). In this study many participants exhibited some level of change in their attitudes about working with ELLs.

Service-Learning as a Means for Preparing Preservice Teachers to Work With English Language Learners

2018 ◽  
pp. 59-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyesun Cho ◽  
Debby J. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Research University ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Content Area Teachers ◽  
Speakers Of Other Languages

This chapter explores ways in which preservice content-area teachers were engaged in service-learning as part of a teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) methods course at a public research university in the U.S. Midwest. It describes the reflections of 26 undergraduate students majoring in English Language Arts, Math, Science, Foreign Languages, and Social Studies Education, who were involved in service-learning as a medial field experience. Findings reveal that the experience contributed tremendously to their understanding of the backgrounds of English language learners as well as the challenges these learners faced in and out of school. As a result of this “eye-opening” experience, teacher candidates reported a commitment to valuing diversity and equity in their future classrooms, as well as a responsibility to advocate for their culturally and linguistically diverse learners. The chapter concludes with suggestions for implementing service-learning for preservice teachers across content areas in a teacher education program.

scholarly journals Assessments and Accommodations for English Language Learners: A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Jo Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Content Area ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Content Area Teachers ◽  
Classroom Assessments

While research in how English language learners (ELLs) use assessment accommodations is lacking, there are some general conclusions that one can draw. First, teachers must know their students’ abilities. This includes knowledge of their English proficiency, knowledge of their first language skills, especially as it pertains to literacy skills, and knowledge of their content area understanding. If teachers are aware of areas of weakness in students’ assessments, they should work to compensate for them by either changing their instruction or providing assessment accommodations. Second, it is important for teachers to recognize the various types of assessment accommodations that are available in their teaching situation. More vitally, teachers must be able to assign assessment accommodations appropriately to their students and know differences between ELL accommodations and Special Education accommodations. If accommodations are applied without regard to individual student differences, it can cause more harm to the assessment procedures and evaluations than benefits. Finally, there is a difference between high-stakes standardized tests and classroom assessments. While content-area teachers may have more freedom in modifying their classroom assessments, standardized tests are usually more constrained in their testing format and accommodations they are allowed to offer. Identifying gaps in research related to assessments for ELLs will benefit the field as content-area teachers continue to increase their work with students of diverse backgrounds.

scholarly journals Every teacher is a language teacher: Preparing teacher candidates for English language learners through service-learning

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanan Fan
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
English Language ◽  
School Teacher ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pedagogical Tools

Secondary school teachers in the United States are facing urgent challenges in their increasingly heterogeneous classrooms where the presence of English language learners (ELLs) is becoming the norm. This study reports preliminary findings of a qualitative, interpretive case study of secondary school teacher candidates learning to teach English language learners through service-learning in Northern California. In a semester-long tutoring project, candidates focused on individual ELLs in their inquiry into language learning, in which they (re)constructed their sociolinguistic knowledge of English and their tutees’ home languages in context. Moreover, the mutually beneficial relationships among members of the language community encouraged candidates’ critical reflections on language learning. The study offers instructional experiences for teachers and teacher educators to develop sociolinguistic and pedagogical tools while supporting, and being supported by, the ELL communities. Keywords: teacher education, service-learning, sociocultural perspective, English language learners, secondary schools, teacher knowledge

Pre-Referral Procedures: Meeting Unique Needs of English Language Learners

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Joanna Burton ◽  
Betsy Wendt
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
School System ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public School System ◽  
Language Difference ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
School Team

An increasingly large number of children receiving education in the United States public school system do not speak English as their first language. As educators adjust to the changing educational demographics, speech-language pathologists will be called on with increasing frequency to address concerns regarding language difference and language disorders. This paper illustrates the pre-referral assessment-to-intervention processes and products designed by one school team to meet the unique needs of English Language Learners (ELL).

Working With Interpreters to Support Students Who Are English Language Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (16) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henriette W. Langdon ◽  
Terry Irvine Saenz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Other ◽  
Primary Language ◽  
Second Best ◽  
Support Students

The number of English Language Learners (ELL) is increasing in all regions of the United States. Although the majority (71%) speak Spanish as their first language, the other 29% may speak one of as many as 100 or more different languages. In spite of an increasing number of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who can provide bilingual services, the likelihood of a match between a given student's primary language and an SLP's is rather minimal. The second best option is to work with a trained language interpreter in the student's language. However, very frequently, this interpreter may be bilingual but not trained to do the job.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Metaphors of Learning and Teaching English as a Second Language

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donita Shaw ◽  
Elena Andrei
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
The United States ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Preparatory Program ◽  
Literacy Methods

AbstractBuilding upon the theory of teacher cognition, the purpose of this study was to discover how pre-service teachers envision learning English as English Language Learners (ELLs) and teaching English to ELLs. We examined metaphors of 98 pre-service teachers who were enrolled in their first literacy methods course in their preparatory program at one of two universities in the United States. We used metaphor analysis methodology to look at the participants’ metaphor writing samples. Overall results showed the pre-service teachers viewed learning English to be foremost a challenge and secondarily a worthwhile challenge. In contrast, the pre-service teachers viewed teaching English to be a worthwhile challenge, followed by a challenge and process. Throughout this paper we highlight our reflection and relate our findings to previous research. To be a responsive teacher educator begins by knowing our pre-service teachers.

scholarly journals Crossing Borders toward Young Transnational Lives

2014 ◽  
pp. 200-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Sue Kasun ◽  
Cinthya M. Saavedra
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Immigrant Students ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Cultural Identification ◽  
Return Visits ◽  
The U.S

Young immigrant youth often live their lives across borders, either by physically crossing them for return visits and/or by metaphorically crossing them through social media and cultural identification. The authors argue these students are better understood as transnational, shifting the focus for educators away from imagining their immigrant students on a straight, one-way path to assimilation in the U.S. to understanding these youths’ abilities to cross borders. Specifically, they call for a redesignation of English Language Learners (ELLs) as Transnational English Learners (TELs). Highlighting examples of educators’ successful border-crossing work, the authors call for educators to cross borders as well in their curriculum and relationships with transnational youth.

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