Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

The Need For Spanish In Mainstream Classrooms: A Celebratory Reclamation Of Linguistic Identity, Keila Torres

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This paper is a testament to the sociocultural importance of bilingualism in mainstream U.S. classrooms, specifically pertaining to the Spanish language and communities in which there is a large percentage of Spanish speakers. Approximately 13% of Americans are native Spanish speakers, this is equivalent to 40 million people. States like Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas can boast populations that include over 1 million Hispanic people (United States Census Bureau, 2019). However, our school curriculums do not reflect the large percentage of Spanish-speaking students who roam their hallways. I argue that traditional …

Observación Participante De Clases Virtuales Bilingües En K-2 Durante Covid-19, Jennifer Quint

World Languages and Cultures

The Covid-19 pandemic is shifting education from the classroom to a virtual setting, forcing educational institutions to collaboratively innovate a new structure for virtual learning. The world’s current state of reliance on technology came so suddenly that teachers, students, and families have no choice but to learn as they go. This research analyzes how an elementary dual- immersion bilingual program adapts to new-found challenges such as technical difficulties, variances in at home support, and student independence. Furthermore, students enrolled in a dual-immersion bilingual program face additional challenges to provide students a language immersive environment. From August 2020 to March 2021, …

Bicultural Development Of Students In A Dual Language Program, Quinn Wulbecker

Dissertations

Dual language programs are often viewed as enrichment programs for students of various language backgrounds. This study evaluated the long-term bicultural impact on students who participated in the Hawkins School District (pseudonym) Spanish-English dual language program. The participants in this study were graduates of the Hawkins Spanish-English dual language program who were in college or beginning their careers. These graduates participated in an interview to offer their perceptions on their current level of biculturalism and the extent to which their participation in the dual language program shaped it. The results of this study revealed that biculturalism is a possible outcome …

Barriers To Bilingual: How Students Participate In Spanish And English Classes, Bailey Strahan

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

While participation has been linked to achievement in the classroom, various external factors can change students’ willingness to participate. In this study the researcher sought to discover what participation looks like in regards to one of these factors, language. Additionally the researcher wanted to discover what students and teachers in a bilingual program thought of their own participation in regards to language. Through the use of surveys, interviews, and observations over the course of several weeks, the researcher was able to determine that many factors including student motivation, preferences, resources available, and misunderstanding all contribute to their willingness to participate …

Effects Of An Elementary Immersion Program On Academic Achievement In Core Subject Areas, Marlee Schmidt

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study sought to find out if students who became bilingual score

higher, lower, or the same on standardized tests as their monolingual peers across

multiple disciplines. An answer was obtained by comparing the Minnesota

Comprehensive Assessment scores of Spanish language immersion students to

scores of non-immersion students for the following subject areas: reading in

grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10; math in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11; and science

in 5, 8, and high school. The scores used came from a graduating class of 2018

with approximately 342 students. Data was analyzed …

Promoting Reading Literacy In The Home Of Spanish Speaking Students, Erica G. Rodgriguez

All Graduate Projects

Research related to the bilingual and bicultural issues of emergent literacy, family literacy, and intergenerational literacy, factors that promote literacy, parent involvement, and family literacy programs was read, evaluated, and summarized. From this literature review it became evident that when children develop literacy skills in their native language and/or English and learn to interact with literacy, learning to read and write becomes easier. A handbook, written in English and Spanish, was designed and printed providing reading strategies and activities for parents to promote reading literacy in the home.

English And Spanish Take-Home Reading Packets To Enhance Early Literacy And Parent Involvement, Catherine Mary Warren

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to influence student reading comprehension by involving parents in the literacy learning of their children. Researchers of language learning suggest that if children learn skills and content in their first language, they will later transfer that knowledge to their second language. To accomplish that end, literature packets that contain a book in Spanish or English with corresponding activities were created. The packets will be taken home by students to use with their parents to enhance reading skills and parent involvement.

A Whole Language Approach Integrating Children's Songs In Spanish To Enhance Language Acquisition And Literacy In The Spanish Immersion Primary Grades, Homero R. Capetillo

All Graduate Projects

An alternative method for the development of second language acquisition and literacy in a second language program was explored. A collection of Spanish children's songs and lessons utilizing "whole language" teaching strategies were compiled to supplement the language arts cμrriculum. The premise for this study was that children's songs could be used to develop activities that would enhance second language acquisition and literacy skills. Implications for the integration of music to provide a cogent transitional vehicle from spoken to written language structures are discussed.

My Writing Source (Mí Fuent De Escritura), Guadalupe Segura Johnson

All Graduate Projects

The project provides a handbook of Spanish creative writing activities. It is to be used by third grade Spanish-speaking students to help inspire their creativity. The handbook consists of journal writing, sequence and write, draw and write, cartoons, story starters and shape stories. The review of literature helps to explain the importance of writing and discusses the role of the teacher. The activities are varied to allow the children to reach the essence of the creative writing process.

A Whole-Language Approach To Bilingual Language Arts Curriculum, Grades K-4, Martha M. Floyd

All Graduate Projects

Bilingual Language Arts objectives were established by grade level, K-4, in both Spanish and English. One hundred six limited English proficient students are participants in the bilingual program for which this curriculum was designed. This study suggests how selected objectives can be implemented using a whole language approach during a 1-week cultural unit. The intent of the curriculum design was that children learn language naturally when it is in a meaningful context. Implications for success in using a whole-language approach are discussed.