Education Commons^™

Notes On Contributors

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Vygotsky And Education: Connecting Theory And Practice In Linguistically Diverse Classrooms, Bobbie Kabuto

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Book Review: Bi-Multilingual Language Knowledge As An Element Of Funds Of Knowledge, Patricia Velasco

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Two Activities For Multlingual Students: Learning In Monolingual Classrooms, David Schwarzer, Christian Acosta

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

The purpose of this article is to re-conceptualize the role of the monolingual teacher in mainstream K-12 classrooms in the United States who work with students who are mostly multilingual and transnational. The proposed role for monolingual teachers is to incorporate at least some of the resources available in students’ native languages, even if they do not have a working knowledge of those languages. To illustrate how this can be achieved the authors showcase two practical activities that can be used in mainstream classrooms to spark discussions about multilingualism and multilingual literacy. The activities are designed to promote the maintenance …

New York State Education Department Policies, Mandates And Initiatives On The Education Of English Language Learners, Angela Carrasquillo, Diane Rodríguez, Laura Kaplan

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

This article is a summary of a longer report, completed under the direction of the Research Institute for the Study of Language in Urban Society and the doctoral program in Urban Education at the Graduate Center in the City University of New York (CUNY) with funding provided by the New York State Initiative on Emergent Bilinguals (NYSIEB). It describes educational laws, policies, mandates, and initiatives regarding the education of English language learners, which took shape and reverberated in the New York State Education Department. This historical descriptive research focused on the historical period from 1965 to the year 2013. The …

The Psychological Impact Of English Language Immersion On Elementary Age English Language Learners, Elena B. Parra, Carol A. Evans, Todd Fletcher, Mary C. Combs

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

To date, most studies about English language learners (ELLs) in Structured English Immersion (SEI) classrooms in the state of Arizona have focused on ELLs’ lack of English acquisition in one year, a time frame expected by Arizona policymakers, as well as their lagging academic progress. While these studies almost uniformly have surfaced educational and policy concerns about the effectiveness of SEI, the debate about this approach has been marked by a lack of attention to research addressing the non-academic ramifications of enforcing this model on children who speak or understand little or no English. One relatively unexamined consequence of the …

Ready For La Escuela: School Readiness And The Languages Of Instruction In Kindergarten, Zoila Tazi Phd

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

School readiness has captured our attention. Across the country, policymakers, politicians, advocates, educators, and community members are forging alliances to increase children’s access to the kinds of early childhood experiences that will best prepare them for success in school. At the same time, census figures indicate that the child population in the United States is changing and young Latinos account for most of that change (O’Hare, 2011).

As a population, Latinos experience greater rates of poverty and other risk factors that adversely affect school readiness (Ackerman & Tazi, 2015). In addition, many Latino children enter kindergarten speaking little or no …

Necessary Paradigm Shifts In Bilingual Education: Rethinking Multilingual Literacy, A. Nevárez-La Torre

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Multilingual Education Research

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Notes On Contributors

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Hope In Immigrant Youth, Mayra Zarnowsky

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Finding Their Way In A New Land, Herlinda Cancino

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Immigrant Students In High Schools, Patricia Velasco

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Teaching Language And Culture: The Importance Of Prior Knowledge When Reading Chinese As A Second Language, Yi-Fang Yeh

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

In this article, the author explores the idea that reading proficiency in a second language involves comprehending the second culture and using it to interpret the world view of the second language. Using cognitive theory, the author examined the relevance of prior knowledge of Chinese language and idioms to understanding text written in Chinese. The nature of Chinese as a second language (CSL) students’ and Chinese as a foreign language students’(CFL) surface and deep knowledge of Chinese idioms as reflected in their responses to journal questions were examined. The author also looked at how the levels of students’ prior knowledge …

Empowering Teachers To Promote Oral Language In Culturally Diverse Classrooms In Ireland, Áine Cregan

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

The importance of oral language development among elementary school students is widely acknowledged, both in the research and in policy documents worldwide. Facility with one particular style of language, decontextualized language, is critical for success in the school context. This style of language is not readily accessible to all students. This study reviews literature findings which indicate that teacher knowledge is imperative for successful teaching of English and reports on an intervention case study in three schools in Ireland in designated disadvantaged contexts. The case study examined the impact of enhanced teacher knowledge on the oral language skills of students …

Understanding The Language Choices Of Novice Bilingual Teachers During Sheltered English Instruction, Nancy Dubetz

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

The theories of practice of four novice bilingual teachers regarding their language choices during sheltered English instruction are presented. The investigation followed participants through their preservice program in an urban public university and their first year of teaching in bilingual classrooms. Findings from this study illustrate how theories of practice regarding the use of the native (Spanish) and second (English) languages during sheltered instruction vary among novices and how they change at different points in their individual journeys to becoming bilingual teachers. The novice bilingual teachers in this study used both languages during their sheltered English instruction in different ways, …

Integrating Content And Academic Language Using Balanced Literacy Structures: A Framework For Instruction Of Emergent Bilinguals, Patricia Velasco

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Teachers working with emergent bilinguals1 face difficult dilemmas. Students who do not receive rigorous content instruction fail to acquire academic language. However, if students do not understand the content or cannot participate in content lessons, they cannot be expected to learn the academic information and the language associated with it. Confronting this challenge requires a sound knowledge of the multiple factors that play a role in developing academic language and its dependency on content area texts. Most importantly, this understanding has to be accompanied by instructional strategies that allow students to gain steady control over academic discourse. In this article, …

Editorial: Bilingual Educators As Professionals: The Need For Standards, Aida A. Nevárez-La Torre

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Notes On Contributors To This Issue

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Multicultural School Psychology: A Kaleidoscopic View, Melissa Laracuenta, Maria Acevedo

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Gaining Appreciation And Understanding For Writing In English In A Bilingual Class, Nadia Mykysey

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

While participating in the Bilingual Teacher Research Forum (a teacher inquiry group), I decided to do research in my classroom to investigate the ways in which emergent bilinguals (EBs) expanded their appreciation and understanding of writing in English as a second language. The purpose of this study was to examine and describe first-grade EBs’ development of writing. A variety of assessment tools were used to document students writing growth over time. All the children made progress both in their spelling and in their writing of stories. Engaging in teacher-based research became a professional development tool to document and reflect on …

Developing Academic Language And Content For Emergent Bilinguals Through A Science Inquiry Unit, Sandra Mercuri, Ann E. Ebe

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

There is growing evidence that schools are not meeting the needs of emergent bilinguals who are falling behind in both academic language development and content knowledge learning. In response to this concern, this article proposes five research-based guidelines for promoting effective instruction for emergent bilinguals. In order to connect theory to practice, implementation of these guidelines is explored through a descriptive study, within a qualitative paradigm, involving Jessica, a Spanish/English bilingual third-grade teacher. Through a description of her science inquiry unit on water, the authors outline how Jessica’s instruction reflected the five guidelines. The analysis of her instruction revealed that …

Perspectives On Teacher Quality: Bilingual Education And Esl Teacher Certification, Test-Taking Experiences, And Instructional Practices, Nancy Lemberger, Angela Reyes-Carrasquillo

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

This descriptive exploratory study looked at the certification process, test-taking experiences, and instructional practices of a group of graduate bilingual education (BE) and English-as-a- Second-Language (ESL) teachers to understand why some had problems passing teacher certification tests after completing their degrees. The study surveyed 63 BE and ESL teachers on their certification and test-taking experiences and their perceived instructional strengths. From this group of 63 participants, 15 volunteer teachers were interviewed and observed in their classrooms. Findings reveal most teachers passed certification tests on the first or second attempt. However, several failed tests due to language, content, and time difficulties, …

U. S. Mainland-Born And Non-Mainland-Born Children Referred For Special Education, Miriam Eisenstein Ebworth, Jay Gottlieb, Barbara Gottlieb, Marjorie Goldstein, Justin B. Bennett

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

In this study, we compared the referrals for special education evaluation of U.S. mainland-born children with those of mostly Latino non-mainland-born children in two school systems in the Northeastern United States. The investigation focused on whether there was a significant difference between referrals for special education from each group, based on either language or behavior. According to the literature, nonnatives are both overrepresented and underrepresented in special education, with reasons for referral including problematic use of language and inappropriate behavior. The researchers found that referrals for behavior in our sample were more frequent among natives compared with nonnatives, while referral …

Competing Discourses About Education And Accountability For Ells/Bilingual Learners: Dual Language Educators As Agents For Change, Rebecca Freeman Field

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

This paper situates the contemporary debate about education and accountability for English language learners/bilingual learners within a sociocultural context and suggests ways that dual language educators and researchers can help move this debate forward. I begin with a brief review of competing discourses about bilingualism and education for diverse learners on the national level in the United States. The paper then provides an insider’s perspective on dual language education in three different contexts (Washington, D.C.; Schaumburg, Ill.; Philadelphia, Pa.) at different times (before and after NCLB was passed) to illustrate how these dual language educators hold themselves accountable for student …

Unpacking Writing And Channeling Change, Aida A. Nevárez-La Torre

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Journal Of Multilingual Education Research-Volume 2

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Jmer Description And Publication Guidelines

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

No abstract provided.

Notes On Contributors To This Issue

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Short biographical information on the authors of the articles in this issue.