Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons^™

Best Practices For English Learners With Disabilities In Us Schools – A Systematic Review, Samiratu Bashiru, Jennifer E. Smith

Journal of English Learner Education

This systematic review investigated best practices for enhancing academic achievement among English Learners with Disabilities (ELDs) in US schools. By examining 17 peer-reviewed articles and comparing them to the CEC 2014 Quality Indicators, the study identifies significant practices, including culturally responsive methods, technology integration, evidence-based strategies, addressing service delivery challenges, and improving assessment tools. This review has limitations related to inconsistent terminology and highlights the need for standardized language and continued research. It recommends integrating culturally responsive practices, leveraging technology, and refining inclusive assessment tools. This review provides educators, policymakers, and researchers insights, emphasizing ongoing teacher development and policy alignment …

When Culturally Responsive Practices Meet Social-Emotional Learning: A Guide For Educators, Sharon Ju-Ting Cheng

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many educators hope to give their students quality and well-rounded education while balancing all the contents they need to learn. Social-emotional learning (SEL) and culturally responsive teaching, however, are two areas that teachers seem to struggle with (Stark et al., 2021). Teachers have encountered situations where it was difficult for them to support their students due to the cultural differences between the teacher and student (Heineke & Vera, 2021). This lack of professional development in the culturally responsive aspect is concerning.

The shortfall of training leads to failure to apply these practices into schools. For newcomer students, who are usually …

Preparing Future Teachers To Meet The Needs Of English Language Learners: A Proposal For Curriculum Reform, Alyson Haley

Honors College

English language learners are an underserved population within the public school system, and there is not enough being done to prepare future teachers to teach these students. The University of Maine College of Education and Human Development is one of the leading teacher preparation programs in Maine, but they no longer offer undergraduate courses on how to teach ELL students. The classes offered at the University address ELLs within the special education context and teaching multiculturalism in a mainstream classroom. Teaching ELLs is different than teaching native English-speaking students, therefore the instructional strategies used within a mainstream classroom are not …

Writing Instruction For Multilingual Learners, Leticia Kiwan

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the benefit of three key elements of instructional writing strategies: structured writing, visual learning, and collaborative tasks to assist Title 1 middle school site administrators and teachers in assessing the impact of the instructional writing strategies for multilingual learners to achieve reclassification to Fluent English Proficient.

Methodology: The qualitative case study included a thorough analysis of one-on-one interviews with seven teachers and seven administrators with more than three years of experience in a middle school from the Sacramento area.

Findings: Examination of the data indicated the following findings: (1) …

Supporting The Oral Language Development Of Young Dual Language Learners: Perspectives Of El Teachers In Nh, Maria C. Chouinard

Honors Theses and Capstones

Demographic shifts in the US over the last two decades have increased the diversity gap between teachers and their students. The majority of multilingual children entering US public schools face the challenge of learning academic content in not just one, but two languages. Despite many of the positive effects of being bilingual, Dual Language Learners (DLLs) often face more challenges in education achievement and opportunities than their monolingual English-speaking peers. A key factor of this challenge is the fact that DLLs tend to have monolingual English-speaking peers, and teachers have been shown to play a critical role in student learning. …

Competent And Confident: Empowering English Language Learners Through Pronunciation Instruction, Faith Pellas

Master's Projects and Capstones

Compared to other language skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking, pronunciation is often neglected in ESL and TESOL curriculum planning and material design. Moreover, many English language teachers lack training in pronunciation instruction, therefore these techniques are not often addressed in class. Learning pronunciation is a top priority for many English language students because it enables them to communicate clearly, have better opportunities, and integrate well into Anglophone communities. The literature review discusses second language acquisition and the determining factors of accented and non-accented speech. It also addresses accent discrimination and the obstacles English language learners (ELLs) face …

Analysis Of Linguistic Inclusion In Tesol Courses For Teacher Candidates, Dylan Thibaut, Irina Mclaughlin

Journal of English Learner Education

According to TESOL standard 1, teacher candidates are required to have knowledge about language including: having knowledge in foreign language grammar and how English develops in ELLs (standard 1a), comprehension of language acquisition and how L1 influences learning (standard 1b), and understanding of the language process where an interlanguage develops as ELLs become comfortable using English (standard 1c) (TESOL International Association, 2018). To identify whether teacher candidates in TESOL courses are prepared to meet TESOL standards 1a, 1b, and 1c, a study was conducted to test one hundred teacher candidates’ knowledge of basic linguistic features of English and the five …

Ell Families: Myths, Truths And Strategies For Engagement, Stephanie Knight, Marjaneh Gilpatrick

Journal of English Learner Education

This article is the first in our new category, Teaching Tips. These are practitioner articles designed to enhance existing in-service teacher's classroom strategies with ELs.

Parental involvement may be the strongest predictor of a child receiving a solid education. This means it is vital that teachers and administrators understand the students’ families’ culture and the way they view education. We also must be proactive with them so that we can empower them with literacy strategies to ensure academic success. Also, many English Language Learner (ELL) families are not familiar with the school system in the United States and may …

Culturally Responsive Training For Secondary English Language Teachers, Tina Mccorkle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this quantitative study, I investigated the effectiveness of a training intervention program to positively impact secondary teacher attitudes and perceptions of culturally responsive teaching (CRT). The study is relevant in Alvin Independent School District given the demographic shift resulting in an increase in Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language. The purpose of the study was to investigate teacher attitudes and perceptions of CRT to determine if there was a statistically significant difference according to pre- and post-survey data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRT program intervention. The CRT research from Ladson-Billings (1992) …

Supporting Refugee And Emergent English Learner's Reading Ability Through A Story Dictation-Based Curriculum, Heather Sunday

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project is to present a literacy curriculum designed specifically for emergent English Learners (ELs) and refugee students. The curriculum utilizes the Language Experience Approach (LEA) to support ELs in their literacy learning as well as capitalize on student strengths in oral language. In order to design this curriculum, literature research was conducted with two questions in mind: 1. How can the strengths of refugee students’ be utilized in a literacy curriculum? 2. In what ways could a Language Experience Approach­based curriculum support emergent ELs in their literacy development? Once these questions were answered through thorough literature …

A Critical Review Of The Best Practices For Displaced Students In Orange County Public Schools, Nicole Hubert

Honors Program Theses

In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico, resulting in the displacement of 35,000 people to Central Florida. Consequently, approximately 4,000 displaced students were enrolled in Orange County Public Schools, one of the largest and most racially diverse school districts in both Florida and the United States. Displaced students did not receive the attention deserved leading to academic and psychological difficulties. This critical review recommends curricular best practices specific to displaced English Language Learner (ELL) students, including ELL specific approaches, technology-based approaches, and models for trauma-related care. Additionally, administrative best practices are proposed to address issues …

Empowering Hispanic English Language Learners For Academic Success, Tanya Navarro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The following senior capstone research project examines the issue of empowerment of Hispanic English Language Learners (ELLs). Through the construction of this literature review and through interviews with various specialists at a middle school level, the following were identified as issues that have impacted the ELL students: academic disparities, dropout rate, modified curriculum, cultural relevance and lack of motivation and aspiration. The result findings indicate that there is a need to implement culturally relevant curriculum and instructions along with language support that could facilitate and empower the ELL students for academic success.

Levinas, Leviticus, & Language: A Case Study Exploring Acsi Maritime Teacher Challenges Of Practice Due To Increasing Esl Enrollment, Susanne Huizing

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explain the perceived challenges of practice due to increasing enrollment of English Language Learners (ELLs) for ACSI teachers in the Canadian Maritimes. The theory guiding this study was ethics as first philosophy by Levinas (1981). Levinas’ theory aided in examining the ethical, relational, and linguistic challenges teachers experienced teaching ELLs. The central research question guiding this study was: what are the perceived challenges of practice K-12 ACSI Maritime school teachers face due to increasing ELL enrollment? Data was collected through pre-interview journals, semi-structured face-to-face interviews, and observations. Data analysis included transcriptions, documents, …

The Language Of Learning In Family And Consumer Sciences: English Language Learners In Career Technical Education, Kali S. Lenhoff

Empowering Research for Educators

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) content and English as a Second Language (ESL) strategies can be organically incorporated to create a successful education for an English Language Learner (ELL). The first objective of this research project is to discover how prepared Family and Consumer Sciences teachers feel to work with English Language Learners in the classroom. The second objective is to identify practical and effective methods and strategies that are useful for Family and Consumer Sciences teachers instructing English Language Learners. The rationale for this project is that by identifying the challenges faced by English Language Learners in education, teachers …

English Language Learners In The Mathematics Classroom, Julia Mccormick

Senior Honors Projects

Mathematics is often considered a universal language. Most of us have heard this statement from a math teacher at some point throughout our academic careers. However, for students moving to the United States from another country with minimal fluency in English, this is clearly not the case. They may walk into math class, a subject area in which they may have excelled in their native country, and see the words “polynomial”, “coefficient”, and “differentiate” on the board. Regardless of their experiences in their native language, there are disconnects and cultural differences between languages and skills emphasized that prevents mathematics from …

Drama In Dialogic Read Alouds: Promoting Access And Opportunity For Emergent Bilinguals, James V. Hoffman, Doris Villarreal, Sam Dejulio, Laura Taylor, Jaran Shin

Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice

In this report, we explore the potential for drama pedagogy in the classroom to support the engagement and growth of emergent bilingual students in language and literacy. We are focused on the use of drama to promote dialogic interactions during teacher read alouds. This study was conducted as a collaborative, action research investigation involving classroom teachers and university-based researchers. Our goals focused on three areas. First, we were interested in the impact of the drama intervention on comprehension. Second, we were interested in the responses of students to drama in read alouds with attention to differences in responses related to …

Deliberative Democracy: A Contested Interactive Space. A Response To "Deliberative Democracy In English Language Education: Cultural And Linguistic Inclusion In The School Community", Esperanza De La Vega

Democracy and Education

This is a response to Liggett’s (2014) call to implement “deliberate democracy” in English language education classrooms. While the concept of participating in deliberate democracy is a solid ideal and worthy of pursuit, I present questions and scenarios that illustrate the complicated nature of the tasks. By sharing my testimonio along with the research, I propose that in order for teachers to guide their students' participation in deliberate democratic activities, they must step back and understand the context of the sociocultural interactive space created in the classroom and whether ELL students are able to and/or prepared to speak in an …

The Effect Of A Self-Regulated Vocabulary Intervention On Word Knowledge, Reading Comprehension, And Self-Regulated Learning For Elementary English Language Learners, Qizhen Deng

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

English language learners (ELLs) represent an increasing population in U.S. public schools. Research reports from the past two decades suggest a persistent reading underachievement for ELLs. Academic vocabulary knowledge, due to its frequent use in academic texts, contributes significantly to ELL children’s English language development, reading comprehension, and general academic achievement. However, a gap of vocabulary knowledge exists between ELLs and their mainstream peers. One potential approach to address this issue is to help ELLs become mastery independent and proactive word learners. This study examined the effect of a researcher-led self-regulated vocabulary intervention on word knowledge, reading comprehension, and self-regulated …

English-Spanish Cognates In The Charlotte Zolotow Award Picture Books: Vocabulary, Morphology, And Orthography Lessons For Latino Ells, José A. Montelongo, Anita C. Hernández, Roberta J. Herter

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

English-Spanish cognates are words that are orthographically and semantically identical or nearly identical in English and Spanish as a result of a common etymology. Because of the similarities in the two languages, Spanish-dominant Latino English Language Learners (ELLs) can be taught to recognize English cognates thereby increasing their bilingualism and bi-literacy for these two languages.

There are over 20,000 English-Spanish cognates, many of the academic vocabulary words. Despite their vast educational potential, however, cognates are typically excluded as a word category in the language arts curriculum, thus denying Latino ELLs of a resource for acquiring English-Spanish bilingualism and bi-literacy.

English-Spanish …

Qualitative Phenomenological Study Exploring Instructional Practices That Contribute To Academic Success For Public Elementary School English Language Learners, Mechelle Champion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore effective instructional strategies of mainstream classroom teachers working with English Language Learners (ELLs). Many teachers feel unprepared to adequately educate English Language Learners. School systems have attempted to rectify this situation by providing teachers with professional development that provides instructional strategies which may or may not be effective. This study answered the questions: What teaching strategies do teachers and administrators perceive to have the most positive impact on learning for ELLs?; How does the culture of the classroom and school impact ELLs’ academic success?; and What are building level administrators’ …

Exploring English Language Learners' Identity Negotiation In A Sixth Grade English Language Arts Classroom, Carolina G. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Secondary schools in the United States are filled with English language learners. The large amount of English Language Learners (ELLs) represent a diverse population with unique academic trajectories and language needs. The diversity among ELLs requires an examination of ELLs’ identity, as it relates to literacy development and achievement. This qualitative study explores how different types of ELLs negotiate identities in an English language arts classroom. Specifically, how different types of ELLs’ perceptions as readers and writers impact identity negotiation is analyzed. The study takes place in a sixth grade English language arts classroom in deep South Texas. It is …

English Language Learners: A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Between A Proficiency Level Assessment And End Of Course Test Scores At One Georgia High School, Jacqueline Caroline Ellis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the language of one’s cultural environment is important for effective communication and function. As such, students entering U.S. schools from foreign countries are given access to English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs and they are referred to as English Language Learner (ELL) students. This dissertation examined the correlation of ELL ACCESS Composite Performance Level (CPL) score to the End of Course tests (EOCTs) and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGTs) in the four content courses (language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies). A premise of this study was that English language proficiency is critical in meeting …

Survival Analysis: Timelines To English Language Proficiency At The Secondary School Level, Elisha W. Beardsley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The ELL population in the United States continues to increase. Research suggests that the English language proficiency growth rates for numerous ELL students are strongly correlated with their English language proficiency levels (Cook & Zhao, 2011; Conger, 2008). The results of Conger’s 2008 study suggested that just over fifty percent of students gained English language proficiency after three years. According to the same study, the students that did not typically gain English language proficiency were students who entered public schools older and with a lower English language proficiency level. The current study examines the likelihood of high school ELLs in …

Instructional Practices Of English As Second Language Teachers, Karen Ann Wallis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The past decade has seen a significant increase in the emergence of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. Nationally, a disparity in achievement exists between ELLs and non-ELLs. Relatedly, this problem was evident in a northeastern school district, where ELLs had not made Adequate Yearly Progress 2 years in a row. The purpose of this study was to examine how much time English as Second Language (ESL) teachers spend on a variety of best instructional practices. Constructivism, Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and Tomilinson's differentiated instruction were the frameworks used to guide this research. A within-group design was …

The Effect Of Morphological Strategies Training For English Language Learners, Qizhen Deng, Guy Trainin

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of morphological strategies training for English language learners from an Intensive English Program with different English proficiency levels. A secondary goal was to investigate how the training influences their cognitive load during morphological analysis tasks. Findings from 22 participants revealed that morphological strategies training positively affects the morphological awareness of ELLs and reduces the cognitive load of ELLs for all types of morphological tasks regardless of their English proficiency level: sentence completion, analogy, break down words, and meaning guess.

[Note: Download button links to pdf version; PowerPoint slide version attached …

English Proficiency / Fluent English Proficient Students, Susan R. Adams

Susan Adams

K-12 students whose first language is not English are identified upon enrollment in U.S. schools through a home language survey and are immediately assessed to determine whether English as a second language (ESL) services are required. Students who do not pass this initial screening assessment are classified as English Language Learners (ELLs), or as limited English proficiency (LEP) students, and are identified to receive school-provided English language development (ELD) and accommodations. Students who pass the initial screener or who demonstrate English proficiency two years in a row on state-mandated annual assessments are deemed fluent or fully English proficient (FEP) students …

Success With Ell's: Writing In The Esl Classroom: Confessions Of A Guilty Teacher, Susan R. Adams

Susan Adams

"Success with ELLs" suggests effective approaches to teaching English language learners in ways that can be of benefit to all students in mainstream middle and high school English classes.

Cooperative Learning In Today's Bilingual Classrooms, Heath Swanson

Master of Education Program Theses

This research study examined the strategy of cooperative learning and whether or not it is an effective strategy for English Language Learners (ELLs). Previous studies have shown that by utilizing cooperative learning groups, each ELL student is enabled with an opportunity to work in a team with other students who have already gained proficiency with the language. The group dynamic of cooperative learning not only provides a supportive environment for learning new content and acquiring English language skills, but also helps to foster friendships and social development (Holt, Chips, & Wallace, 1991) This research study looked specifically at how cooperative …

Implementing A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Phonics Curriculum That Incorporates Music To Meet The Needs Of English Language Learners In The Response To Intervention Process, Danielle Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the Sing, Spell, Read, Write (SSRW) phonics curriculum that uses explicit and systematic methods and incorporates music to teach literacy skills implemented as a tier-two reading intervention in the Response to Intervention process to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of English Language Learners. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design will be used to explore the research questions. Using a quantitative quasi-experimental comparison method, the researcher gathered archived data relating to ELLs reading achievement using the reading portion of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests and the STAR Reading assessment. The …

English Proficiency / Fluent English Proficient Students, Susan R. Adams

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

K-12 students whose first language is not English are identified upon enrollment in U.S. schools through a home language survey and are immediately assessed to determine whether English as a second language (ESL) services are required. Students who do not pass this initial screening assessment are classified as English Language Learners (ELLs), or as limited English proficiency (LEP) students, and are identified to receive school-provided English language development (ELD) and accommodations. Students who pass the initial screener or who demonstrate English proficiency two years in a row on state-mandated annual assessments are deemed fluent or fully English proficient (FEP) students …