Multicultural Education as a Framework for Educating English Language Learners

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35
Author(s):  
Jerry Parker
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Education Administrators

This article discusses the value of multicultural education as a framework for guiding the teaching and learning process in post-secondary education. The focus centers on English Language Learners in the United States throughout all disciplines. An analysis of the five dimensions of Critical Multicultural Education (Banks, 2019) is given along with further commentary on key areas of focus to best guide both English Language Learners and native-born students to a better understanding of the course content and each other. The ideas from this article serve as a starting place for faculty members and higher education administrators  from all over the world and across disciplines who seek to re-conceptualize their classrooms and/or the college or university experience  to accommodate the ever-diversifying population of students via research in multicultural education.

Representations of immigrants and refugees in US K-12 school-to-home correspondence: an exploratory corpus-assisted discourse study

Corpora ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Berger ◽  
Eric Friginal ◽  
Jennifer Roberts
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Text Simplification ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
K 12

This study details a comparative, corpus-based discourse analysis of corpora containing educational documents distributed to parents and guardians of K-12 children in public schools in the United States (US). The exploratory local corpus (n=152,934) contains parent-directed educational documents collected from four public schools in a city located in the south-eastern US with an unusually high percentage of foreign-born residents. The comparison corpus (n=147,796) contains parent-directed documents collected from a sampling of K-12 schools across the US. Following Baker et al. (2008) , keyness and collocations were utilised as central theoretical notions and tools of analysis, in addition to a lexical sophistication comparison, in order to investigate text simplification across corpora. Results show that while the first corpus used labels for students that were superficially inclusive, English language learners themselves were discursively represented as outsiders facing barriers to inclusion that native-English speaking monolingual students do not face. Furthermore, the first corpus revealed an emphasis on identifying and categorising language learners so as to provide them with immediate services, while the non-geographically specific corpus focussed more on the long-term development of learners and on preparation for post-secondary education. We discuss the implications for language policy in public education and for policies related to K-12 school-to-home correspondence.

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 Teaching and Learning Vocabulary: What English Language Learners Perceive to Be Effective and Ineffective Strategies

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d ◽  
Fereshte Rajabi
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
English Language Teachers

Vocabulary constitutes an essential part of every language-learning endeavour and deserves scholarly attention. The objective of the present study was three-fold: 1) exploring Iranian English language learners’Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs), 2) examining language learners’ perceptions of vocabulary learning, and 3) exploring Iranian English language teachers’ Vocabulary Teaching Strategies (VTSs). In total, 145  intermediate learners of English as a foreign language, consisting of 114 males and 31 females aged 15 to 27, participated in the study. The triangulated data were collected using three tools: questionnaires, interviews, and class observations. Sixty-seven learners (31 females and 36 males) filled out a 56-statement questionnaire, adopted and adapted from Takač (2008) and translated into Persian. The questionnaire comprised two parts, enquiring as to the learners’ VLSs and the teachers’ VTSs. The findings indicated that females and males differed significantly in their reported VLSs and their teachers’ use of various VTSs. Additionally, 78 learners were interviewed as to their perceptions of effective and ineffective VLSs as well as VTSs. The findings revealed that the most effective VLSs were reported to be: a) reciting, repeating and listening to words, b) using words, and c) memorising words while the most effective VTSs revolved around: a) explanation, b) repetition, and c) dictation. The observations also confirmed the findings obtained via the questionnaire and interviews. In general, the findings are indicative of the limited repertoire of vocabulary acquisition techniques employed by Iranian EFL learners, hence the need for strategy training in how to acquire vocabulary. 

Inspiring Teacher Candidates to Embrace Cultural Diversity

2020 ◽  
pp. 120-139
Author(s):  
Judi Simmons Estes ◽  
Judith Lynne McConnell-Farmer
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Underserved Students

One of the challenges facing teachers in the United States is providing high-quality education for all students met in the classroom, including those who too often are underserved: students of color, low-income students, English-language learners, as well as students in urban and rural settings. Teachers report feeling unprepared and lack confidence in teaching students from culturally different backgrounds from themselves. This chapter suggests that in addition to becoming certified teachers, teacher candidates need to be inspired by teacher educators who are passionate about cultural learning and willing to share their own journey. Through sharing, teacher educators can provide practices that build cultural knowledge and increase cultural experiences of teacher candidates.

Striving Toward Biliteracy in Mainstream, English as a Second Language, and Bilingual Classrooms

2018 ◽  
pp. 41-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nermin Vehabovic ◽  
Casey Medlock Paul
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bilingual Students ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Language And Culture

The development of biliteracy among English language learners (ELLs) has been established as a critical issue in education policy and practice. We live in an era of increasing globalization, which results in increased numbers of immigrants in the United States. As a result, significant proportions of students in U.S. schools come from homes where English is not used as the primary language; however, these students, as emergent bilinguals, are required to navigate language and culture in mainstream, English as a Second Language, and bilingual classrooms contexts. This chapter considers the challenges that emergent bilingual students face in elementary school contexts. In addition, specific research-based strategies are outlined for teachers working with ELLs in mainstream, English as a Second Language, or bilingual classrooms. Lastly, the authors explore how multiliteracy approaches and pedagogy might shape ELLs' identity formation.

Culturally Inclusive Teaching of Adult English Language Learners

2019 ◽  
pp. 115-132
Author(s):  
Christy Michele Rhodes ◽  
Kathy Diane Lohr
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Culturally Responsive ◽  
English Language ◽  
Ways Of Knowing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Responsive Teaching ◽  
Education Community ◽  
Language Classes

The growing diversity of the United States population continues to impact public education in many ways. One key area has been the increased awareness of the need to adapt learning environments to enhance the motivation of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Culturally responsive teaching is one approach designed to increase motivation by replacing mainstream teaching practices with those grounded in students' experiences and ways of knowing. This multicultural approach is enacted in many adult English language classes throughout the country. It is the purpose of this chapter to highlight those practices for the larger adult education community.

Latinx and Immigrant Heritage Language Maintenance

2021 ◽  
pp. 165-181
Author(s):  
Alejandra Sanmiguel-López
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
The United States ◽  
Home Language ◽  
Heritage Language Maintenance ◽  
Family Language ◽  
The U.S

Research shows that children who speak a language other than English in Latinx and immigrant households make up a significant portion of schoolchildren in the United States and the process of developing and maintaining the heritage language (HL) is complex when that language is distinct from their classroom's language. This chapter explores the motivations parents have in maintaining the home language and the effect this has on Latinx and immigrant English language learners (ELLs) children. The motivations for preserving home language for Latinx and immigrant families are to maintain ties to Latinx cultural values and sustain cultural identity while also providing academic support for Latinx and immigrant ELLs students in the U.S. schools. Research on previous works of literature documents that through family language policy (FLP) practices and HL maintenance, Latinx and immigrant ELLs children can maintain and carry on their cultural values while simultaneously advancing academically in the U.S. schools.

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