scholarly journals English Language Learners in Higher Education: An Exploratory Conversation

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-430
Author(s):  
Jamie Harrison ◽  
Hong Shi

This article discusses an exploratory conversation between a newly hired assistant professor of ESOL Education and one of her graduate level students taking the methods and materials course. The graduate student was an English learner (international student), and therefore offered this new professor an opportunity to explore her practice of working with English learners in a new context outside of K-12 schools. The discussion followed theoretical protocols of cogenerative dialogue in which the student brought in artifacts from the recently completed course that exemplified easy and difficult assignments. Both professor and student were able to examine their own practices in relation to access of curriculum and strategies that encourage that access.

Author(s):  
Hector Manuel Serna Dimas

Bilingual education has been based on theories and research stemming from fields of linguistics, psychology, first and second language acquisition while the study of second language acquisition requires a change of paradigm that involves the social and cultural views of language and literacy learning. Within the context of this analysis, the paradigm in question includes the conception of literacy processes based on the ideas of identity, subjectivity, and agency. This study used classroom observations, open interviews, and students' documents to conceptualize the literacy processes of Spanish/English learners in a bilingual K-12 school in Colombia. The data of this study indicate that students have a sense of their identity as bilingual learners. It should be remarked that the variables of these concepts greatly depend on the school culture's official first and second agenda for literacy education, which often overlooks the facts on how students understand their circumstances of being bilingual and biliterate.


2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (7) ◽  
pp. 52-56
Author(s):  
Felice Atesoglu Russell ◽  
Kerry Soo Von Esch

As today’s K-12 schools become increasingly diverse, many teachers are struggling to meet the needs of English language learners and teach them in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner. The authors provide a pair of examples to illustrate specific ways teacher leaders can be effective advocates for better instruction and services for English learners.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Yeong I ◽  
Ricardo Martinez

This book is designed for pre-service/in-service teachers and others who will work or work with K–12 students who have linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, especially students of other languages (English language learners/Emergent bilingual/multilingual). The core concept of this course is helping teachers understand the needs of various Emergent Bilinguals (a.k.a. English language learners (ELLs)/English Learners (ELs), learn to use their language and culture as a resource in mathematics classrooms and implement research-based instructional strategies that are effective to teach mathematics for Emergent Bilinguals.


Author(s):  
G. Sue Kasun ◽  
Cinthya M. Saavedra

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.


2013 ◽  
pp. 723-740
Author(s):  
Erin L. White

There is a growing need to implement an alternative and viable solution in U.S. K-12 schools that will address the ever-growing gap that the rapidly growing English Language Learner (ELL) population presents. This chapter examines various technology-based tools and their potential impact. These technology-based solutions could help to alleviate an already taxed educational system, as well as significantly aid in improving and increasing English language acquisition among the nation’s K-12 ELL population. A review of recent research provides evidence and a strong foundation that supports the integration of these solutions. An ELL Design Quadrant ensures that one follows best practices when integrating technology, and a practical applications section presents examples of contemporary technology with accompanying instructional strategies that educators can utilize in the everyday classroom. Throughout the chapter, references to language acquisition and learning theories provide the evidence and background knowledge necessary to integrate technology into the ELL literacy curriculum, based on sound judgment.


Author(s):  
Erin L. White

There is a growing need to implement an alternative and viable solution in U.S. K-12 schools that will address the ever-growing gap that the rapidly growing English Language Learner (ELL) population presents. This chapter examines various technology-based tools and their potential impact. These technology-based solutions could help to alleviate an already taxed educational system, as well as significantly aid in improving and increasing English language acquisition among the nation’s K-12 ELL population. A review of recent research provides evidence and a strong foundation that supports the integration of these solutions. An ELL Design Quadrant ensures that one follows best practices when integrating technology, and a practical applications section presents examples of contemporary technology with accompanying instructional strategies that educators can utilize in the everyday classroom. Throughout the chapter, references to language acquisition and learning theories provide the evidence and background knowledge necessary to integrate technology into the ELL literacy curriculum, based on sound judgment.


Author(s):  
Alina Slapac ◽  
Kim H. Song ◽  
Cynthia C. Chasteen

This chapter discusses the successes, concerns and challenges faced by in-service teachers in the instruction of English Learners (ELs). The constructs of intercultural responsiveness (IR), cultural competence (CC), linguistic competence (LC) and professional development (PD) are used as conceptual frameworks. The researchers are drawing on data gathered at a statewide conference focused on dual language (DL) education from five focus group interviews and informal conversations with twenty-seven in-service teachers and administrators at all levels of education, and the researchers' field notes .Vignettes of the participants' voices highlight their perspectives and experiences working with ELs. The authors hope that these stories of celebrations and struggles will engage other teachers and administrators to take a deeper look into their personal practices and pedagogies of working with ELs.


Author(s):  
Arnold Nyarambi ◽  
Zandile P. Nkabinde

Teacher educator preparation programs play a central role in preparing teachers and practitioners who work with children with exceptionalities, immigrants, and English language learners (ELL), among others. Research indicates that immigrants, ELL, and children with exceptionalities benefit from effective family-professional partnerships in several ways. Family-professional relationships are also key in producing positive educational outcomes for vulnerable and children who are at-risk. The following layers of partnerships and relationships are discussed: university-based educator preparation programs (EPPs) and K-12 schools; immigrant families and K-12 schools; and teachers/caregivers in K-12 schools and immigrant children/ELL, including children with exceptionalities. The benefits of positive partnerships and relationships are discussed. These include positive educational outcomes for children and their families, positive outcomes for children's school readiness, enhanced quality of life for families and their children, family engagement in children's programs, strengthening of home-school program connection, and trust-building for all stakeholders.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 936-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kendall King ◽  
Martha Bigelow

U.S. public schools are required to establish policies ensuring that English language learners have equal access to “meaningful education.” This demands that districts put into place mechanisms to determine student eligibility for specialized English language services. For the most states, this federal requirement is fulfilled through the local administration of the WIDA–Access Placement Test (W-APT), arguably the most widely used, yet under-studied, English language assessment in the country. Through intensive participant observation at one, urban new student intake center, and detailed qualitative, discursive analysis of test administration and interaction, we demonstrate how the W-APT works as a high-stakes assessment, screener, and sorter, and how test takers and test administrators locally negotiate this test and enact this federal and state policy. Our analysis indicates that the W-APT is problematic in several respects, most importantly because the test does not differentiate adequately across students with widely different literacy skills and formal schooling experiences.


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