Abstract
Enrollment of English language learners (ELLs) in United States schools has increased more rapidly than general enrollment, resulting in an urgent need for teachers to be prepared and to meet the needs of ELLs in their classrooms. This study examined the language learning beliefs and attitudes toward ELLs among 286 pre-service teachers in a large public university. Results show that pre-service teachers demonstrated neutral attitudes toward ELLs. Participants’ language learning beliefs exhibited four components: “difficulty of learning,” “ease of learning,” “motivation” and “traditional view” of language learning. Controlling for language learning status, pre–service teachers tended to demonstrate less supportive attitudes toward ELLs when they held traditional views of language learning and when they viewed language learning (in general and English in particular) as relatively easy or not difficult. These findings suggest preservice teachers need evidence-based coursework in language development and language learning processes to overcome potential misconceptions and biases regarding ELLs.
Highlights
ObjectivesIn response to this need and concern, the primary purpose of this study is to examine the relations between pre-service teachers’ beliefs about second language learning and their views of English language learners (ELLs)
We examine pre-service teacher beliefs about second language learning and relate them to their attitudes toward English language learners (ELLs) through multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) and hierarchical regression of survey data from a university preparation program that graduates the most teachers in the state
Pre-service teachers provided information on their gender, age, grade or year in college, ethnicity, how many credit hours taken in teacher education coursework, how many credit hours taken in English as a second language (ESL) coursework, and whether they ever learned a second language and whether they can speak a second language fluently
Summary
In response to this need and concern, the primary purpose of this study is to examine the relations between pre-service teachers’ beliefs about second language learning and their views of ELLs
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