Meeting the Needs of Young English Language Learners

Author(s):  
Judi Simmons Estes

From the fall of 2003 to the fall of 2013, the number of Hispanic students in K-12 schools increased from 19 percent to 25 percent; in addition, the percentage of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools was 9.4 percent during the 2014-2015 school year, ranging from 1.0 percent in West Virginia to 22.4 percent in California (NCES, 2016). General education teachers are increasingly likely to have ELL students in their classrooms, yet a majority of classroom teachers have little to no training in working with English language learners (NCES, 2011). This chapter provides a discussion of the role of language in learning, the needs of English language learners and their families, as well as the role of teacher preparation programs in preparing pre-service teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse young children.

Author(s):  
Alpana Bhattacharya

Over the past 30 years, the ethnic and racial representation of students in P-12 grades across the United States has shifted, with increasing number of students coming from households where a language other than English is used. Despite increase in the number of English language learners in recent years, many education stakeholders are of the position that the academic learning of culturally and linguistically diverse students has not been addressed effectively. Teacher preparation programs therefore are compelled to reimagine their curriculum for preparing teachers to educate diverse learners.This chapter describes a teacher preparation course focused on preparing preservice teachers to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students in secondary school grades. Culturally and linguistically relevant practices drawn from course assignments and clinical experience are described as approaches for preparing teachers to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students, specifically the English language learners.


Author(s):  
Guofang Li

Building upon existing research on preparing teachers for English language learners (ELLs), this chapter examines current practices and challenges of integrating ELL education into teacher preparation programs in the U.S. The analyses reveal sporadic efforts of ELL integration into the American teacher training institutions. Most programs focus on cultural diversity rather than language and linguistic challenges that all teachers will also encounter in their future classrooms. Findings also reveal several challenges in integrating language and linguistic diversity into teacher education: a lack of faculty expertise in ELLs, programmatic constraints, and minimum policy support. The findings suggest that teacher education programs need to extend the current focus on cultural diversity to equip future teachers with teaching competencies to address the increasing sociolinguistic complexities in the classrooms.


2022 ◽  
Vol 26 (284) ◽  
pp. 2-12
Author(s):  
Cristina Iannacchino ◽  
Amaury Samalot-Rivera

The purpose of this study was to explore how physical educators from the state of New York accommodate English Language Learners (ELL) in their Physical Education (PE) classes. Furthermore, to find out how many teachers have a background in foreign languages and the strategies they use to teach these students. A content-validated open-ended questionnaire was used to collect the data. A total of 53 PE teachers completed the questionnaire. Results from this study indicated that the majority (73%) do not know a second language other than English. They also expressed the need for teacher preparation programs to provide more information on effective strategies on how to teach ELL students. Data analysis uncovered two recurrent themes: (a) lack of knowledge on a second language, and (b) the lack of knowledge of effective teaching strategies. Professional development opportunities and clear guidelines on how to teach ELL students need to be provided to PE teachers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2156759X2097956
Author(s):  
Adonay A. Montes ◽  
Erika Ramos

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of an 8-week academic navigational capital group with English language learner (ELL) students. Minimal research exists examining ELL students’ acquisition of navigational capital skills (skills needed to navigate and succeed in academic settings) in school. We used a pre- and postintervention survey to measure the impact of the group. Results showed growth in the academic navigational capital skills of all participants. Such increases represent a starting blueprint to consider when working with ELL students.


2012 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Cummins ◽  
Rania Mirza ◽  
Saskia Stille

This article attempts to provide ESL teachers, school administrators, and policymakers with a concise overview of what matters in promoting academic success among learners of English in Canadian schools. We review research focused on bilingual and biliteracy development, the nature of academic language, and the roles of societal power relations and identity negotiation in determining the academic achievement of English language learners (ELL). On the basis of this research, we propose the Literacy Engagement framework that identifies literacy engagement as a major determinant of literacy achievement for ELL and non-ELL students. In order to enable ELL students to engage with literacy, the framework highlights the importance of teachers scaffolding meaning, connecting with students’ lives, affirming student identities, and extending their awareness and knowledge of language across the curriculum. The application of the framework is illustrated with reference to the literacy and academic learning experiences of two ELL students in the Toronto area.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-115
Author(s):  
Suprihadi Suprihadi ◽  
Muh. Syafei

The dual-role of the students of English Education Department Teacher Training and Education Faculty Muria Kudus University as both English language learners and language users gets them to be autonomous, effective, efficient, and strategic readers. The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between quality of the reading strategy and academic achievement of the students. The subjects of this research were 104 students of EED UMK comprising of all semesters taken randomly. The instrument used was closed-ended questionnaire. The result of this research reveals that there is no relationship between quality of the reading strategy and academic achievement, meaning that the quality of reading strategy does not influence the academic achievement of the students. Implikasions and recommendations for the institution and for further research were proposed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-271

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Author(s):  
Tatiana I. Sildus ◽  
Natalie Vanderbeck ◽  
Michelle Broxterman

The chapter focuses on the specifics of working with elementary school English language learners in ESOL pull-out programs. The authors, a TESOL professor and two ESOL pull-out teachers in elementary schools, examine the role of the ESOL program instructor in this type of academic setting. To give the readers a better idea of what the job of an ESOL pull-out teacher entails, the chapter presents portions of teacher interviews offering insights from two elementary pull-out programs. It provides first-hand accounts of real life experiences of instructors in established programs. They not only reflect on what it is like to teach ELLs in this type of program, but also offer practical suggestions, as well as comment on additional programs and services, such as summer school and after school academy, available to ELLs in their district. The goal of the chapter is to better familiarize elementary educators currently working in districts with pull-out programs or those considering this option as a career choice, and to better prepare them for the realities of everyday work.


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