Learning Climates for English Language Learners: A Case of Fourth-Grade Students in California

Abstract

This study investigates “learning climates” among fourth-grade students in an English-only school district in California. A student's learning climate is defined here as (a) a learner's perceptions of his or her own abilities and behaviors, as well as (b) the learner's perceptions of others' beliefs about his or her abilities and behaviors (or “externalized perceptions,” as we have termed this throughout this paper). This study aims to understand how such learning climates may relate to students' reading performance among English language learners (ELLs) as well as native English-speaking (NE) students. A structured interview was conducted. Positive perceptions toward bilingualism were observed by both students who read English well and those who struggled with reading English. However, these two groups differed in their: (a) language-mixing behavior; (b) first-language literacy skills; (c) fathers' level of English proficiency; and (d) views of the influence of their first language on their English reading. Strong ELL readers tended to have more positive externalized perceptions of NE peers' attitudes toward their first languages and their language-mixing behavior. NE students' perceptions toward bilingualism were also revealed.