Middle School English Language Learners Research Articles

A multimodal model for analyzing middle school English language learners’ digital stories

In response to the rapid development of digital literacies, this paper introduces a new multimodal framework for analyzing digital stories. Drawing on systemic functional linguistics, the four-part framework includes representational, interpersonal, compositional, and sociocultural dimensions.Using the analytical framework, this qualitative case study illuminates how two middle school ELLs remixed multimodal semiotic resources to articulate their feelings, develop their identities, and reflect on their learning. Data include classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with students, and digital stories. All were analyzed inductively.Findings demonstrate how articulating voice and communicating feelings often involved “remixing”—a process where ELLs use design thinking to combine new and existing artifacts, and produce new meaning through their digital stories. The analytical framework also illuminates ELLs’ dynamic expressions of and reflection on their identities. The analysis shows how ELLs felt empowered by the opportunity to use digital stories as a platform for sharing their own cultural backgrounds and personal feelings.The study shows how ELLs can benefit from the multimodal literacies afforded by digital storytelling. Our new multimodal analytical framework also demonstrates how a holistic analysis of digital stories can be achieved, and provides guidance on how to support the effective use of digital storytelling as a pedagogical tool for both ELLs and mainstream students.

English language learners’ language and literacy development: A brief synopsis of major theoretical orientations for middle school teachers

The purpose of this article is to present a brief synopsis of major theoretical orientations of second language acquisition (SLA) processes and offer practical implications for middle school teachers who work with English language learners (ELLs). ELLs’ academic needs in middle school settings are particularly unique. Compared to younger children, middle school ELLs face more challenging tasks. They need to develop both complex content knowledge and language skills at the same time to be successful in school. Given that ELLs’ language and literacy development is foundational to their successful academic learning across the curriculum, it is important for middle school teachers to deepen their theoretical understanding of ELLs’ language and literacy learning processes. Yet, many teachers experience difficulties in understanding SLA theories because the conceptually complex theories are often presented in an inaccessible manner, obscured by linguistic jargon. This article, drawn from a review of theoretical perspectives in the literature and over a decade of classroom studies, provides a synopsis of the major theoretical orientations. These theories provide important instructional implications on how middle school teachers can successfully support ELLs’ language and literacy learning across the curriculum.

Interactive e-book reading vs. paper-based reading: Comparing the effects of different mediums on middle school students’ reading comprehension

This exploratory study compared the effects of two different mediums of reading—interactive e-book reading and paper-based reading—on learners’ reading comprehension. A specific focus was placed on literal vs. inferential comprehension. Thirty Korean middle school English language learners were randomly assigned to an interactive e-book reading (treatment) group or a paper-based reading (control) group. A pre-test and five comprehension tests were administered to both groups over a total of six reading sessions. A survey was also conducted to investigate students’ perceptions of how helpful interactive e-book features were in aiding their reading comprehension. Results from the reading comprehension test scores showed no statistical differences between the groups across the five tests. Analysis of literal and inferential questions also showed no significant difference overall. Findings from the survey data along with researcher observation notes suggest that interactive features that are not designed to aid students’ understanding can distract students from the task of reading which may hinder their comprehension. The overall results of this study suggest that it may not be the medium of reading, but how students engage with each medium that can affect their comprehension of text.

Engaging English language learners with critical global literacies during the pull‐out: Instructional framework

Critical practices for promoting English language learners’ global and multicultural perspectives become more important in this global and interconnected world operating under systems of power, ideology, and hegemony. Grounded in the theoretical framework of critical global literacies and its explicit connection to pedagogy, the purposes of this qualitative case study with three middle school English language learners are (1) to introduce instructional practices to promote critical global literacies in English as a second language (ESL) classrooms and (2) to discuss how English language learners respond to these critical practices in a middle school ESL pull‐out setting. This article highlights the findings of the students’ engagement through their actual voices and responses to the classroom activities. These findings challenge the preconceived notion that critical practices might be daunting to implement with English language learners. The findings also provide implications and practical suggestions on how to support students’ language and literacy learning through the process of empowerment as socially and globally oriented individuals in this ever‐changing, interconnected world.

Fostering identity negotiation in sixth-grade ELLS: Examining an instructional unit on identity in English Language Arts

ABSTRACTThis study provides an in depth look at how middle school English language learners (ELLs) negotiate their identity as readers and writers as they engage in an identity-oriented unit of instruction. Drawing on theories of identity, identity negotiation, and transformative pedagogy, this study contributes to the field by exploring how a teacher can configure her or his classroom as a space in which ELLs’ identities are continuously and dynamically negotiated. This qualitative action research study sought to answer the following research question: How do instructional activities in an English language arts’ unit on identity foster identity negotiation in different types of ELLs? Two findings emerged from the data analysis of student work and interviews: (a) ELLs’ perceptions as readers and writers are defined by their experiences in reading and writing instruction; (b) A unit of instruction can be a catalyst for ELLs to negotiate their identity and to reclaim their self as effective readers and writers.

애니메이션 영화를 활용한 영어어휘 학습이 중학교 수준별 학습자에게 미치는 영향

This study aims to investigate the effects of explicit and implicit vocabulary learning through animation movies on middle school English language learners. One-hundred learners in two different proficiency levels were divided into explicit and implicit vocabulary learning groups. Their outcome was measured in terms of productive/receptive vocabulary knowledge as well as contextualized/ non-contextualized vocabulary knowledge. The findings of the study indicate that although there was no significant differences between explicit and implicit vocabulary learning in both high and low level learners, learners in different proficiency levels showed differences according to different test types. Specifically, high level learners’ performance in productive vocabulary knowledge were significantly better than that of low level learners. Additionally, high level learners showed better performance in contextualized type of questions, implying that they have acquired the strategy of using context in using vocabulary.

Promoting School Adjustment for English-Language Learners Through Group Work

Recently immigrated middle school English-language learners (ELLs) need academic, language acquisition, and acculturation supports. School counselors can use group counseling to foster positive school adjustment. Results of this study showed that students in the treatment group received significantly higher scores on school adjustment after controlling for preintervention scores. Students’ grade point average also increased following the intervention. Participant journal responses to school counselor prompts revealed expressions of sadness, loneliness, and hope for the future. The authors provide implications for group work practice and research.

What English Language Learners Have to Say about NCLB Testing

This study is a phenomenological study that examines the No Child Left Behind testing experience of middle school English language learners (ELLs) through their journal writing. Thirteen students in a seventh/ eighth-grade self-contained Chinese bilingual classroom wrote journal entries in response to a prompt asking their opinion of standardized testing; students responded in either Chinese or English. The author found that students had many incisive critiques of testing and test preparation, articulated reasons for not performing well, expressed their psychological or emotional reactions, and offered recommendations for improving the experience. Some students used their knowledge of the Chinese educational system to compare and contrast their testing experiences. The students’ overall negative experience was due to overtesting, the ineffectiveness of remedial computer programs, “luck” as an unpredictable factor in multiple-choice tests, or their status as second language learners. Reactions of anxiety and fear of doing poorly also mattered. The author relates the concept of “student voice” to counter-narratives, identity construction, and resistance to dominant discourses about immigrant ELL students. She discusses how these “student voices” disrupt essentialized views of ELLs and recent immigrant students and urges educators to make the voices of immigrant and ELL students more prominent in classrooms.

More than Just Eye-Catching: Evaluating Graphic Quality in Middle School English Language Learners’ Science Textbooks

Second language (L2) instructors frequently use visual stimuli to support learning, particularly content-specific learning; however, not all visuals are effective in supporting curriculum. Previous research has demonstrated that while graphics may make texts visually appealing, middle grade students, even native English speakers, are not consistently skilled in interpreting science diagrams and integrating textual and visual information simultaneously. This study used the Graphics Analysis Protocol (GAP; Slough & McTigue, 2013), which has been used to assess U.S. science textbooks to evaluate how well graphics in scientific readings support both content knowledge and second language acquisition. Our sample included 118 graphics from 54 readings used to teach science in English to 7 th and 8 th grade English language learners (ELL) in Qatar. Our findings indicate that not only does poor integration of text and graphics fail to support student learning, but it also may hinder overall reading comprehension. Results suggest that individuals selecting instructional materials for ELL need to evaluate visuals as part of the selection process, particularly with technical classes such as science. Recommendations for practitioners are provided.Second language (L2) instructors frequently use visual stimuli to support learning, particularly content-specific learning; however, not all visuals are effective in supporting curriculum. Previous research has demonstrated that while graphics may make texts visually appealing, middle grade students, even native English speakers, are not consistently skilled in interpreting science diagrams and integrating textual and visual information simultaneously. This study used the Graphics Analysis Protocol (GAP; Slough & McTigue, 2013), which has been used to assess U.S. science textbooks to evaluate how well graphics in scientific readings support both content knowledge and second language acquisition. Our sample included 118 graphics from 54 readings used to teach science in English to 7 th and 8 th grade English language learners (ELL) in Qatar. Our findings indicate that not only does poor integration of text and graphics fail to support student learning, but it also may hinder overall reading comprehension. Results suggest that individuals selecting instructional materials for ELL need to evaluate visuals as part of the selection process, particularly with technical classes such as science. Recommendations for practitioners are provided.

Effects of an Online Mathematics Curriculum for English Language Learners

This study measured the effects of an online supplementary mathematics curriculum designed for middle school English language learners who speak Spanish as a first language. A randomized experiment measured the achievement differences between middle school English language learners who used the Web-based HELP Math (Help with English Language Proficiency) curriculum and students who used other technology-based programs. Three hundred and ninety-six students participated. Both groups made statistically significant gains from pretest to posttest within their respective curricula, but no main effect was found between the two groups. Post hoc analyses revealed that students with higher levels of English proficiency, who participated in the comparison condition, performed significantly better than students in the HELP Math condition, while students with lower levels of English proficiency performed better in the HELP Math program (although these differences were not statistically significant). Findings are interpreted with caution due to the truncated length of the intervention.

Using Educative Assessments to Support Science Teaching for Middle School English-language Learners

Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support teachers in diagnosing their students’ emergent understandings of science inquiry practices, science content knowledge, and the academic language of science, with a particular focus on the needs of English-language learners. In our current school policy context, writing for meaningful purposes has received decreased attention as teachers struggle to cover large numbers of discrete content standards. Additionally, high-stakes assessments presented in multiple-choice format have become the definitive measure of student science learning, further de-emphasizing the value of academic writing for developing and expressing understanding. To counter these trends, we examine the implementation of educative assessment materials—writing-rich assessments designed to support teachers’ instructional decision making. We report on the qualities of our educative assessment that supported teachers in diagnosing their students’ emergent understandings, and how teacher–researcher collaborative scoring sessions and interpretation of assessment results led to changes in teachers’ instructional decision making to better support students in expressing their scientific understandings. We conclude with implications of this work for theory, research, and practice.

Supporting the Reading Development of Middle School English Language Learners Through Culturally Relevant Texts

This article reports on a study that explored the relationship between reading proficiency and the cultural relevance of text for adolescent English language learners. The author presents a rubric that was used to help determine cultural relevance. Participants used this rubric to rate the cultural relevance of 2 stories. Although the stories were at the same reading level, the participants differed in their reading of each story. Data suggested that readers’ proficiency and comprehension were greater when they were reading the more culturally relevant story. The author discusses implications for text selection that supports the reading development of English learners.

Finding the Right Words: Art Conversations and Poetry

Generative thinking is explored in this article by chronicling the development of middle school English language learners’ poetry writing through their interaction with visual art. The author explains how art conversations (Reilly & Cohen, 2008) were used to help students engage in dialogue about the topic of journeys and how students’ paintings were then used as a starting point for poetry writing. Drawing on research from Christine Leland and Jerome Harste (1994), Shirley Brice Heath (2000), David Perkins (1994), and Eliot Eisner (2001, 2002) the author advocates for transmediated instruction as a means for enhancing students’ thinking.

Types of Mathematics-Language Reading Interactions that Unnecessarily Hinder Algebra Learning and Assessment

English language learners (ELLs)—one of the lowest-achieving and fastest growing middle-school subpopulations—are challenged in the classroom by language components which could potentially jumpstart real mathematical growth for these and, eventually, all other students as well. Going beyond traditional word problems, this study documented and distinguished types of reading challenges that hinder middle-school ELLs (and some non-ELLs) when responding to a set of related, written algebra items about a linear pattern. Because just one reading misunderstanding or non-understanding can lead a student to create a logical, yet incorrect solution path to one item and apply that misconstruction when responding to other related items, the mathematics register should be expanded and explicitly integrated into daily classroom mathematics instruction.