Number Of English Language Learners Research Articles

Leadership Practices to Support Teaching and Learning for English Language Learners

With a substantial increase in the numbers of English language learners in schools, particularly in countries where English is the primary use first language, it is vital that educators are able to meet the needs of ethnically and linguistically changing and challenging classrooms. However, despite the recognition of the importance of effective leadership for successful teaching and learning, there is a lack of research into leadership of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). This article reports on a research project investigating leadership practices which support ESOL teaching and learning in two New Zealand schools, where English language learners are a minority in the classroom. A number of successful leadership practices for ESOL emerged, including establishing clear goals, enabling leaders to be role models, providing ESOL professional learning, and empowering teaching and learning for ESOL. A number of challenges to successful leadership were also revealed, such as the marginalisation of ESOL and a business as usual approach, with English language learners expected to fit into existing practices. This article concludes that as numbers of English language learners continue to grow in schools, a strong focus on developing leadership practices and capacity to support ESOL teaching and learning is essential.

Predictors of the Instructional Strategies that Elementary School Teachers Use with English Language Learners

Background/Context According to demographers, the number of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S schools has been increasing and is likely to continue to increase in coming years. For various reasons relating to language acquisition, cultural adjustment, and persistent discrimination, these students tend to experience academic difficulties. Improvement in their performance depends on teachers’ use of effective instructional strategies, but few surveys have investigated the extent to which teachers use such strategies or the conditions that encourage them to do so. Focus of Study This study addressed the following research questions: (a) To what extent do elementary content-area teachers use various research-based practices for teaching ELLs? (b) In consideration of appropriate statistical controls, to what extent are elementary content-area teachers’ professional training, attitudes, bilingualism, and their schools’ characteristics, singly and in combination, associated with their reported use of a set of research-based strategies for teaching English language learners? Participants Participants were a random sample of Ohio elementary school teachers (n = 419) in schools in the highest quartile of ELL enrollment. Research Design The current study surveyed elementary teachers in Ohio and then used multiple regression methods to identify significant predictors of teachers’ use of research-based strategies with ELLs. Findings Findings showed that teachers reported frequent use of research-based strategies, but their preference was for strategies recommended for all learners. They were less likely to use strategies specifically intended for ELLs. In addition, regression results showed that teachers’ attitudes and the percentage of ELLs in their schools were significant predictors of teachers’ use of research-based strategies—a positive predictor in the first instance and a negative predictor in the second. Ancillary analyses revealed that teachers’ years of experience and bilingualism, as well as the schools’ resources, were significant predictors of teachers’ attitudes toward ELLs, with more experienced teachers exhibiting more negative attitudes, and bilingual teachers and those in higher resource schools exhibiting more positive attitudes. Conclusions/Recommendations Findings point to the likelihood that continued efforts to prepare elementary school teachers to work with ELLs will entail the provision of additional resources to schools with large and increasing ELL populations. In addition, efforts to increase teachers’ use of research-based strategies with ELLs will involve professional preparation powerful enough to change attitudes. Instruction in a second language appears to be an approach that bears consideration.

Exploring how the school context mediates intern learning in underserved rural border schools

This research used poststructural theories to examine a crucial issue of teacher-learning in rural border schools that are under pressure from high-stakes school accountability, fewer resources, and significant numbers of English language learners (ELLs). The methodology was based on a multiple case study of four intern teachers who participated in the research for 16 weeks. The sources of data included classroom observation, interview, reflective essay, and field note. The findings showed that the interns deconstructed teacher-learning and constructed ways of teaching within contradictory and conflicting school policies and practices.

13. The Intersection of Mathematics and Language in the Post-Secondary Environment: Implications for English Language Learners

Given the increasing number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in post-secondary environments (Roessingh & Douglas, 2012), educational practices such as availability of language support for mathematics should be assessed to ensure that all students’ needs are met. To explore the effects of language on mathematics in ELLs, mathematical test items were presented in four language contexts: vocabulary knowledge, negation, preposition use, and atypical sentence structure. Sixty students enrolled in mathematics courses volunteered to complete the mathematics task. Results suggest that math items falling into each of the four language contexts disadvantage ELLs, highlighting that the needs of ELLs should be considered at all levels, from classroom practices to educational policy.

Linking Service-Learning Opportunities and Domestic Immersion Experiences in US Latino Communities: A Case Study of the “En Nuestra Lengua” Project

We report on the service-learning component of a Spanish-language Saturday school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for elementary-aged Spanish-language heritage learners and also examine the newly forming Latino community served by this innovative program. The US Spanish-speaking population is growing throughout the country, resulting in greatly increased numbers of English language learners who enter the school system as heritage Spanish speakers. The current study provides compelling data that first language Spanish literacy support can be very beneficial for these students as they acquire English literacy. Such efforts also provide numerous experiential- and service-learning opportunities for native Spanish speakers, as well as for intermediate and advanced second language Spanish learners in this study. Both first- and second-language service-learners benefit from the Spanish immersion environment of the Saturday program outlined. Moreover, our case-study findings show that heritage students in the program and their largely immigrant parents are forming part of a diverse community that values bilingualism, Spanish literacy, and academic achievement.

Informal Reading Inventories and ELL Students

With the increasing amount of testing taking place in classrooms, teachers may question how appropriate those assessments are for the growing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in the United States. One of the assessment options for classroom teachers is the informal reading inventory (IRI), which is the most frequently used assessment tool for all students. Because of disagreement regarding the reliability and validity of IRIs for use with native English speakers, teachers should exercise greater caution when using them with ELLs, both in choosing the specific IRI and in interpreting the results based on the influence of students' accents on word pronunciations, familiarity with culturally specific content, the kinds of questions asked, and the relevance to classroom instruction and to students' culture. In addition, teachers should evaluate students' reading ability using several measures rather than a single assessment. Other informal assessments are available for use with ELLs.

K-12 Categorical Entitlement Funding for English Language Learners in California: An Intradistrict Case Study

The K-12 student population is becoming increasingly diverse in the United States. In particular, the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) rose from 4.7 million in 1980 to 11.2 million in 2009, more than doubling from 10% to 21% of the student population.

Learning to Teach Inquiry: A Beginning Science Teacher of English Language Learners

Early career science teachers are often assigned to classrooms with high numbers of English language learners (ELLs). For the underprepared early career science teacher, these circumstances are challenging. This study examines the changes in beliefs and practices of an early career science teacher who taught high numbers of ELLs in an urban setting. Victoria participated in the Alternative Support for Induction Science Teachers (ASIST) program during her initial two years of teaching. Our research team followed her over a three‐year period, and the data collected included classroom observations and interviews about her beliefs and practices. In addition, documents such as teacher evaluations and classroom artifacts were collected periodically for the purpose of triangulation. The analysis of the data revealed that with the support of the ASIST program, Victoria implemented inquiry lessons and utilized instructional materials that promoted language and science competencies for her ELLs. Conversely, standardized testing and her teaching assignment played a role in constraining the implementation of inquiry‐based practices. The results of this study call for collaborative efforts between university science educators and school administrators to provide professional development opportunities and support to build the capacity of early career science teachers of ELLs.

The Grade 3 Provincial Achievement Tests: In Need of Revamping?

This article advances an argument for retaining but revamping the grade 3 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Alberta’s demographic landscape is rapidly changing to include significant numbers of English language learners who are still in the early stages of developing English language proficiency at grade 3. Online tools are used to generate vocabulary profiles from exemplars of three standards of achievement: excellent, proficient and satisfactory. These are compared along various indices of vocabulary diversity. The findings provide striking evidence for rethinking the place of vocabulary in the overall assessment framework of the PATs, and in turn, for emphasizing the need for direct and explicit vocabulary instruction from the earliest of formal schooling experiences for immigrant children and the children of immigrants.

Bridging the Gap: Preservice Teachers and Their Knowledge of Working With English Language Learners

A good deal of attention has been focused on the need to prepare teachers to work with the increasing number of English language learners (ELLs) in today's classrooms. Many would argue that this preparation should be provided at the preservice level so that new teachers are ready to meet the demands of all learners, but in particular ELLs. However, teacher education programs are challenged to incorporate this kind of preparation into the existing curriculum, which is heavily laden with other core certification requirements. This study explores the impact of a three‐credit foundations course for teaching English language learners and its corresponding field experience component of observing ELLs offered as part of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree program in elementary education. Data was collected from a pre‐ and post‐Language Attitudes of Teachers Scale survey (Byrnes & Kiger, 1994) and from the preservice teachers' classroom observation reports. The findings from this study show an increase in tolerance and knowledge of ELLs and support for them in the schools. The results present a compelling case to integrate these kinds of experiences into existing teacher preparation programs.

Using Flashcard Drill Methods and Self-Graphing Procedures to Improve the Reading Performance of English Language Learners

The increasing numbers of English language learners who are enrolled in schools across the nation, combined with the escalating academic demands placed on all students, warrant the evaluation of instructional strategies designed to improve English language learners’ reading performance. In this study, the authors used a multiple baseline design across individuals to examine the effects of an intervention that combined (a) a vocabulary folding-in technique and (b) self-graphing procedures on the reading performance of 3 third-grade Spanish-speaking English language learners. Curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency and reading comprehension probes were implemented to monitor the students’ reading progress. Results indicated that the combined intervention improved the participants’ reading performance as measured by vocabulary sight words, reading fluency, and reading comprehension tasks. Implications of this research, including how school psychologists can use interventions such as these to serve as interventionists, are discussed.

Toward Integration: An Instructional Model of Science and Academic Language

School success in the United States is grounded in English-based academic literacy. As the number of English language learners (ELLs) entering schools continues to increase, more elementary classro...

¡Ya Basta! : Challenging Restrictions on English Language Learners

During the last decade, the population of children entering U.S. schools unable to speak English grew by 40 percent. One in ten pre-K-12 students, a total of 5.3 million, are categorized as English Language Learners (ELLs). This large number of students is directly a result of the large wave of immigration over the last fifteen years. Those new immigrants gave birth to "new-Americans," children born in the United States with full citizenship rights but born into non-English-speaking families. Therefore, the number of ELLs is not expected to diminish and is projected to increase by some 20 percent in the next decade. The achievement gap between them and their English-speaking peers has not contracted, with ELL students underperforming by 30 percent to 50 percent compared to their English-speaking white peers at almost every grade on national and state assessments. In almost all instances, this is the case even if you control for median family income and other indicators of social class. The education of ELL students in the United States need not remain a story of underachievement. Research points to effective methods for turning around their educational trajectory. Unfortunately, however, ELL policy remains mired in political ideology that restricts its potential and blocks its supposed intentions.

Preparing English Language Learners for the Mainstream: Academic Language and Literacy Practices in Two Junior High School ESL Classrooms

The growing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. K–12 public schools have raised many questions about how to best educate these students. Much of the research on teaching ELLs has discussed the kinds of practices that should be used to increase ELLs' school achievement, but few studies have documented the actual practices that English as a second language (ESL) teachers use to scaffold their students into achieving in mainstream classrooms. This study adds to the literature on the practices of ESL teachers by examining the teaching practices of 2 junior high school ESL teachers as they prepared their intermediate and advanced ELLs to spend their entire school day in mainstream classes. Findings indicate that both teachers engaged in a complex array of practices that helped develop academic language and literacy skills that students needed for participation in mainstream classrooms by (a) attending to mainstream content in their classrooms, (b) teaching students academic language, (c) providing support in students' first language, (d) teaching students explicit reading strategies, and (e) using culturally responsive teaching methods. Implications for practice, future research, and policy include using measures that help teachers approach their instruction with a holistic understanding of students' mainstream academic language and literacy needs.

Teaching English Language Learners: Strategies for Overcoming Barriers

The number of English language learners (ELLs) in today's classrooms is increasing. In this article, the authors identify four perceived barriers beginning and veteran teachers face in teaching literacy to ELLs: the lack of understanding of the role of literacy in other cultures, the teacher's inability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners, the devaluation of peer interactions and collaborations in the process of learning a language, and a lack of knowledge about using assessment measures with diverse student populations. Through the review of research and the authors’ experiences in the field, strategies are offered to help teachers overcome these barriers and become more effective teachers of ELLs.

Reaching ELLs at Risk: Instruction for Students With Limited or Interrupted Formal Education

The United States is receiving unprecedented numbers of immigrants, with a parallel increase in the number of English-language learners (ELLs) entering our schools. Many of these ELLs are students with limited or interrupted formal education who face great challenges, especially at the secondary level where they have little time to master academic content, develop literacy skills, and build English proficiency. Fundamental to school success for these students is their need to adjust to culturally different ways of learning. In this article, the authors examine salient academic and cultural issues and describe a new instructional model to help teachers adapt their instruction to facilitate the active engagement of this student population, as well as transition them to the learning environment of the U.S. educational system.

‘A little bit marginalized’: the structural marginalization of English language teachers in urban and rural public schools

The increase in the number of English language learners (ELLs) in US public schools has been well documented. In just a 10 year period between 1990 and 2000, the enrollment of students with limited proficiency in English increased by 105%, compared to a 12% overall enrollment gain. This places increased pressure on teacher educators to prepare general education teachers to not only work with ELLs but to also utilize the knowledge of English language teachers (ELTs). Many teacher education texts give various methods and strategies to modify instruction and scaffold content to engage ELLs, yet there is little discussion about building collaboratory relationships with ELTs to aid in better understandings of issues that individual learners face. This paper focuses on these obstacles by examining how linguistic differentiation is described, explained, and excluded within schools in terms of implicit or explicit deliberation about English language learners (ELLs) and English as a second language (ESL) programs. I argue that the participants’ experiences resulted in the marginalization of ELTs and their students. I maintain though that this marginalized status can be ameliorated through collaborative relationships between general education teachers and English language teachers.

Pushing Back Against Push‐In: ESOL Teacher Resistance and the Complexities of Coteaching

As U.S. school districts struggle to address persistent achievement gaps between increasing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) and their native‐English‐speaking counterparts, many districts are moving away from segregative models like pull‐out to implement more collaborative approaches such as coteaching, or push‐in. In contrast to pull‐out, coteaching has been lauded for its good intentions of creating an inclusive educational environment by coordinating the expertise of grade‐level teachers and teachers of English to speakers of other languages into single coteaching settings. Using ethnographic and arts‐based approaches to research, this study adopts a critical perspective that challenges this unproblematic presentation of coteaching as a panacea for educating ELLs. Additionally, the study examines the potential for performance‐based focus groups (Boal, 1979) to cultivate dialogue and coalition building among coteachers of ELLs. Data from the study suggest that coteaching is a complex social act influenced by hierarchical relations of power and status in the school setting. Performance‐based focus groups reveal that language, race, and ethnicity also are implicated as important social factors in the coteaching enterprise. In the context of these demographic and instructional trends, this study offers timely insight into the challenges, complexities, and possibilities of coteaching, with clear implications for pedagogy and professional development.

Reading Difficulties and Grade Retention: What's the Connection for English Language Learners?

Much of the student diversity in U.S. schools reflects increasing numbers of English language learners (ELL). ELL represent a very heterogeneous group in terms of their native language proficiency, educational experiences, access to quality early childhood programs, and immigration experiences. An unfortunate commonality they often share is poor academic achievement, particularly in the area of reading. Higher rates of grade retention and school dropout are consistently linked to poor academic performance. This article discusses literacy development, reading difficulties related to special education identification, and reading interventions for ELL. Practical strategies for reading instruction are also provided.

Differential Functioning of Reading Subskills on the OSSLT for L1 and ELL Students: A Multidimensionality Model‐Based DBF/DIF Approach

The increasing numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in Canadian schools pose a significant challenge to the standards‐based provincial tests used to measure proficiency levels of all students from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This study investigated the extent to which reading item bundles or items on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) function differentially for Grade 10 students who speak only or mostly English at home (first language [L1] students; n = 1,969) and those whose home language is something other than English (ELL students; n = 3,675). Based on Roussos and Stout's (1996a) multidimensionality‐based DIF analysis paradigm, a variety of substantive and statistical techniques were employed: (a) content review by English as a second language (ESL) experts, (b) exploratory and confirmatory dimensionality analyses, and (c) confirmatory differential bundle functioning (DBF)/differential item functioning (DIF) procedures. The evidence gathered in the study indicated that items associated with vocabulary knowledge favored L1 students, whereas items requiring grammatical knowledge or integrated reading and writing skill favored ELL students. Instructional implications for the promotion of effective literacy education programs are discussed, as is the development of a literacy curriculum that can meet the needs of linguistically diverse learners in a multilingual context.