Spanish-speaking English Language Learners Research Articles

Linguistic Distance, Language Anxiety, and Coping Strategies: A Comparative Study of Chinese and Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners in Classroom Settings

Linguistic Distance, Language Anxiety, and Coping Strategies: A Comparative Study of Chinese and Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners in Classroom Settings

Engaging English Language Learners as Cultural Informants in the Design of a Social Robot for Education

Background: There are 4.9 million English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. Only 2% of educators are trained to support these vulnerable students. Social robots show promise for language acquisition and may provide valuable support for students, especially as we return to needing smaller classes due to COVID-19. While cultural responsiveness increases gains for ELLs, little is known about the design of culturally responsive child–robot interactions. Method: Therefore, using a participatory design approach, we conducted an exploratory study with 24 Spanish-speaking ELLs at a Pacific Northwest elementary school. As cultural informants, students participated in a 15-min, robot-led, small group story discussion followed by a post-interaction feedback session. We then conducted reflexive critiques with six ELL teachers who reviewed the group interactions to provide further interpretation on design feature possibilities and potential interactions with the robot. Results: Students found the social robot engaging, but many were hesitant to converse with the robot. During post-interaction dialogue students articulated the specific ways in which the social robot appearance and behavior could be modified to help them feel more comfortable. Teachers postulated that the social robot could be designed to engage students in peer-to-peer conversations. Teachers also recognized the ELLs verbosity when discussing their experiences with the robot and suggested such interactions could stimulate responsiveness from students. Conclusion: Cultural responsiveness is a key component to successful education in ELLs. However, integrating appropriate, cultural responsiveness into robot interactions may require participants as cultural informants to ensure the robot behaviors and interactions are situated in that educational community. Utilizing a participatory approach to engage ELLs in design decisions for social robots is a promising way to gather culturally responsive requirements to inform successful child–robot interactions.

English Spelling Performance in Writing Samples Among Spanish-Speaking ELLs

The depth of the English orthography makes reading and spelling in English a difficult task; particularly for English language learners (ELLs) whose first language (L1) has a shallow orthography. Mastering spelling in English is a critical component of increasing the English literacy of ELLs. This study investigated the English spelling of 569 Spanish-speaking ELLs in Grades 4 to 6. Participants’ writing samples were analyzed for spelling errors. Latent class analysis was utilized to discover hidden categories within the data using eight spelling error categories: (a) Vowel Omission; (b) Vowel Addition; (c) Vowel Substitution; (d) Vowel Sequence; (e) Consonant Omission; (f) Consonant Addition; (g) Consonant Substitution; (h) Consonant Sequence. Consonant- and vowel-based errors were nearly equal in each grade level. Latent class analysis resulted in a two-class model. Students in Class 1 made more types of errors than students in Class 2. As the grade level increased, the percentage of students in Class 2 increased. The results of this study show the effects of English and Spanish orthographies on the spelling of Spanish-speaking ELLs, with spelling errors occurring among both vowels and consonants. As omissions were the most prevalent errors in both classes, spelling instruction aimed at decreasing omissions should be considered for ELLs.

Explaining achievement gaps in kindergarten and third grade: The role of self-regulation and executive function skills

The present study examines whether teacher-rated self-regulation skills exhibited within the classroom context and directly assessed individual executive function abilities at kindergarten entry uniquely contribute to kindergarten and third grade achievement gaps among children from economically disadvantaged families and Spanish-speaking English-Language learners (ELLs). We used nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten cohort of 2010–2011 (ECLS-K: 2011) in hierarchical nested regression models to describe the achievement gaps and subsequent reductions in the achievement gaps once child covariates, classroom self-regulation, and executive function skills were added to the models. Classroom self-regulation explained a moderate proportion of the kindergarten math and literacy gaps, but only among children from economically disadvantaged families. After accounting for classroom self-regulation, executive function skills explained a more substantial proportion of kindergarten achievement gaps for children from economically disadvantaged families and Spanish-speaking ELLs. Moreover, although executive function skills continued to explain achievement gaps in third grade for both groups, effect sizes were small. Results highlight the independent contribution of classroom self-regulation and individual executive function skills for school readiness gaps in kindergarten among children from economically disadvantaged families and suggest that improving executive function abilities prior to kindergarten could be effective for attenuating initial achievement gaps. Applications to policy and practice are discussed.

Rapid shift in naming efficiency on a rapid automatic naming task by young Spanish-speaking English language learners

AbstractThe present study analyzed lexical processing efficiency in Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) and their monolingual English-speaking peers from kindergarten through second grade. Specifically, changes in the patterns of speed and accuracy on a rapid object-naming task were evaluated across languages for the ELL children and across the groups of children. Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that ELL children have a rapid shift in language processing efficiency from Spanish to English by the end of kindergarten. Results also showed that by the end of kindergarten ELL children were slightly faster and more accurate in English compared with their monolingual peers. This work provides perspective on how lexical processing is impacted by the development of a dual lexical system. We discuss how lexical density, strength of lexical connections, and environmental constraints may influence this rapid shift in lexical processing efficiency for young Spanish-speaking ELL children.

Examining How Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners Use Their Linguistic Resources and Language Modes in a Dual Language Mathematics Assessment Task

ABSTRACT In this study, I examined how 34 Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) used their linguistic resources (English and Spanish) and language modes (oral and written language) to demonstrate their knowledge of proportional reasoning in a dual language mathematics assessment task. The assessment allows students to see the item in both English and Spanish, to listen to someone read aloud the item in English or Spanish, to provide oral or written responses in English, Spanish, or both for selected constructed-response items. The assessment was piloted in three algebra classrooms at a middle school and a high school in the United States. Data included students’ responses, the amount of time it took students to complete each item, the language that the students used in each item, the language mode they used to complete the constructed-response items, the number of times the students listened to the read alouds, and responses to a short survey. This study reports on how Spanish-speaking ELLs performed on the assessment task, the linguistic resources and the language modes they used to access and to respond to the task, and how language and mode use impacted performance and the time spend on the test items.

Cognitive Correlates of Basic Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners: Implications for Dyslexia Assessment

While significant research has been done on the assessment of reading and dyslexia with native English speakers, little has been done with English language learners (ELLs). This lack of research creates challenges for practitioners who are working with ELLs in schools. These professionals must make decisions about placements, interventions, and accommodations without having a clear indication of whether ELLs struggle with reading because of lack of English language exposure or a neurological condition, such as dyslexia. The present study explored several known correlates of reading in native English speakers, including Phonological Awareness, Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), and Processing Speed as predictors of basic reading skills in Spanish-speaking ELLs. The findings suggested that most tasks of Phonological Awareness and RAN were highly correlated to basic reading skills in Spanish-speaking ELLs and that these measures should be part of a dyslexia assessment with this population. When Phonological Awareness and RAN tasks as well as other demographic factors were controlled for, performance on Processing Speed tasks was inconsistently correlated to basic reading skills and was not a significant predictor of reading.

IQ-Achievement Discrepancy for Identification of Disabilities in Spanish-speaking English Learners.

This article examines the validity of IQ-achievement discrepancy and low achievement as criteria for the identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking English-language learners (ELs) and the factors that moderate the validity of these approaches as bases for identification. While there has been a long history of examining the validity of different approaches to disability identification in monolinguals, there are no systematic approaches taken for ELs. Data from Grades 1 and 2 of a large longitudinal data set consisting of young Spanish-speaking students attending schools in the United States were used to empirically examine criteria for disability identification among language minority children-one of the first large-scale attempts. Findings indicated significant overidentification when the language of assessment was not matched to the language of the instruction, although the effects varied predictably over time and by language of instruction. Validation of classifications using measures external to the classification found that low achieving and discrepant children differ from typically developing children, and from one another in predictable ways based on differences in IQ. The study highlights the importance of taking into account the language of instruction and the severity of the cut-off to reduce misidentification of typically developing children.

A Practitioner’s Inquiry into Vocabulary Building Strategies for Native Spanish Speaking ELLs in Inquiry-Based Science

The increase in global migration and the prioritization of English as an international language have resulted in science learning environments that include students whose primary language differs from the language of instruction. This worldwide phenomenon is not limited to geographical regions but occurs where diverse populations representing languages, cultures, ethnicities, and nationalities exist. English Language Learners (ELLs) in these classrooms face the task of learning science while learning to comprehend and participate in the discourse of science. Science teachers must therefore be strategic in providing experiences that will facilitate the development of ELLs’ literacy skills to do and engage science learning. We present how one middle school science teacher, engaging in practitioner inquiry, tapped into the potential of deliberate cognate instruction to support the learning of science vocabulary within the context of inquiry-based science teaching. The 7th grade teacher adapted a graphic organizer that served to focus on ELLs learning core ideas and through deliberate cognate instruction connected their Spanish language to English. Cognates, in conjunction with other teaching strategies, proved to be an effective way for the simultaneous learning of disciplinary content knowledge and vocabulary words. The knowledge generated from this practitioner inquiry had immediate impact and though not generalizable can offer insights beyond this immediate classroom. The Spanish-English cognate was a viable tool in bridging the language differences; however, we acknowledge that limitations will occur in classrooms where the languages may not have common roots to support cognate instructions.

Range of Meanings: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study of How English Language Learners Encounter Assessment Items on Descriptive Statistics

ABSTRACTEnglish language learners are a growing demographic in secondary, two-year, four-year and research institutions where many students encounter their first course in statistics. In the statistics education literature, recent calls have been made to improve statistical education for underserved student populations, including English Language Learners (ELLs). Some have investigated how ELLs interpret instructional material and classroom practices in the statistics classroom. This study uses a sequential mixed methods approach to investigate how Spanish-speaking ELLs may respond differently to assessment items about measures of center and variation. Comprehensive analyses of this type are essential in order to identify bias and ensure fair comparisons across participant populations. Findings indicate that ELLs do not comprehend context or understand some statistical terms in the same way as non-ELLs. Study limitations, implications, and recommendations are discussed.

First and foreign language early reading abilities: The influence of musical perception

There is a growing body of literature that recognises how music perception affects first-language learning, but much less is known about its influence on foreign-language reading skills. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of music perception abilities on the acquisition of some foreign early reading skills based on their transference from first language. Data for this study were collected from 63 Spanish-speaking English-language learners studying second grade of primary school. We used a music perception test and the Early Grade Reading Assessment battery, which measures early reading skills in both languages. A mediation analysis using structural equation modelling was performed, integrating music perception and letter-sound knowledge, initial sound identification, and familiar word and pseudoword reading in Spanish and English. This research provides new insights into how music perception affects early reading skills in both languages. These findings indicate a transfer of music perception abilities to first-language alphabetic principle, phonemic awareness and word recognition skills that affect foreign language early reading abilities.

Verbal working memory and early literacy acquisition: do ELLs allocate resources similar to their typical monolingual peers or monolingual children with SLI?

ABSTRACT The role of verbal working memory (VWM) in early language and literacy development among typical and atypical monolingual children exposed to different orthographies is well established. Less is known how English Language Learners (ELLs) allocate their VWM resources in early stages of literacy acquisition in English (L2). This study examined the role of phonological (PM) and working memory (WM) in L2 decoding, sight word recognition and spelling among ELLs attending kindergarten in an urban Title I school. The results of ELLs’ assessments across cognitive and linguistic reading pre-requisites were compared to the assessments on the same measures of typical and specific language impaired (SLI) monolingual peers. Despite decreased vocabulary and lower phonological awareness (PA) skills ELLs did not differ from typical monolingual peers on VWM skills and early literacy outcomes, but outperformed SLIs. However, ELLs relied exclusively on PM for decoding and spelling, which differed from typical monolingual peers. These results provide important information regarding L2 language and early literacy development among Spanish-speaking ELLs, and should help to conceptualize the educational strategies for supporting ELLs based on their L1 structure. Measure of PM may be discriminating criteria between ELLs and SLIs, as poor PM is an established marker for SLI.

Modeling Floor Effects in Standardized Vocabulary Test Scores in a Sample of Low SES Hispanic Preschool Children under the Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling Framework.

Researchers and practitioners often use standardized vocabulary tests such as the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4; Dunn and Dunn, 2007) and its companion, the Expressive Vocabulary Test-2 (EVT-2; Williams, 2007), to assess English vocabulary skills as an indicator of children's school readiness. Despite their psychometric excellence in the norm sample, issues arise when standardized vocabulary tests are used to asses children from culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse backgrounds (e.g., Spanish-speaking English language learners) or delayed in some manner. One of the biggest challenges is establishing the appropriateness of these measures with non-English or non-standard English speaking children as often they score one to two standard deviations below expected levels (e.g., Lonigan et al., 2013). This study re-examines the issues in analyzing the PPVT-4 and EVT-2 scores in a sample of 4-to-5-year-old low SES Hispanic preschool children who were part of a larger randomized clinical trial on the effects of a supplemental English shared-reading vocabulary curriculum (Pollard-Durodola et al., 2016). It was found that data exhibited strong floor effects and the presence of floor effects made it difficult to differentiate the invention group and the control group on their vocabulary growth in the intervention. A simulation study is then presented under the multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) framework and results revealed that in regular multilevel data analysis, ignoring floor effects in the outcome variables led to biased results in parameter estimates, standard error estimates, and significance tests. Our findings suggest caution in analyzing and interpreting scores of ethnically and culturally diverse children on standardized vocabulary tests (e.g., floor effects). It is recommended appropriate analytical methods that take into account floor effects in outcome variables should be considered.

The effects of developing English language and literacy on Spanish reading comprehension

ABSTRACTIn this longitudinal study, the cross-language transfer from second language (L2) to first language (L1) was examined among Spanish-speaking English-language learners in an English intervention (Grades 1–3) in the southwest United States. Path analysis revealed statistically significant transfers (ps < .05) for the treatment group from English reading comprehension to Spanish reading comprehension. English vocabulary and English grammar also had an indirect influence on Spanish reading comprehension through English reading comprehension. For the comparison group, no English to Spanish paths were statistically significant. We concluded that intervention activities in L2 influenced L1 reading even when L1 instructional time was reduced.

Changing demographics, changing practices: teacher learning in new immigrant destinations

PurposeChanging immigration patterns in the USA have led to a growing number of “new immigrant destinations.” In these contexts, opportunities for teacher learning are crucial for developing the school capacity to serve the academic, linguistic and socio-cultural needs of immigrant students. In response, the purpose of this paper is to examine how schools in Wisconsin provided both formal and informal teacher learning opportunities to develop the instructional capacity to support recent immigrants, specifically Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs).Design/methodology/approachUsing descriptive analyses of teacher and administrator survey and interview data, this study examined the focus and within-school distribution of formal professional development, as well as teacher collaboration as a mechanism for informal learning.FindingsMost commonly, professional development focused on concrete strategies teachers might enact in their classrooms, rather than developing broader understandings of the needs of immigrant students. In addition, formal professional development commonly targeted particular groups of teachers, rather than faculty as a whole. Finally, general education-ELL teacher collaboration was most often deployed “as needed” and focused on particular student needs, rather than systematically.Research limitations/implicationsFuture work might address the limitations of this study by examining teacher learning opportunities in new immigrant destinations in other locales, the quality and effectiveness of such opportunities, and other mechanisms for the distribution of expertise.Originality/valueFindings suggest the need for more systematic and integrated approaches to teacher learning in new immigrant destinations, with an emphasis on pushing beyond the short-term need for instructional strategies to develop more holistic, collaborative approaches to integrating ELLs into schools and classrooms.

A Multi-Modal Intervention for English Language Learners: Preliminary Results

Abstract Finding culturally responsive practices that are engaging for students is even more important with the ever-increasing population of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States. The challenges of a language barrier can contribute to low achievement and high dropout rates. This 16-week study examined the effects of authoring and sharing dual-language identity texts on the narrative skills of 3 Spanish-speaking ELLs who were in the third grade. Specifically, we examined discourse length and lexical diversity. In this culturally responsive intervention, students authored and read dual-language identity texts. Language samples were elicited in the form of story generations prompted by randomly selected photographs. Results of the study indicate that 2 of the 3 participants made notable gains in vocabulary and narrative skill performance. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. Keywords: dual language, culturally responsive intervention, narrative skills, book sharing, story grammar ********** One of the most pressing issues in education today is how to address the academic needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). The population of ELLs has increased dramatically in classrooms across the United States. Nearly one in five children come from a home where English is not the native language and more than one in four children are Hispanic where Spanish is the primary language spoken (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). The challenges of a language barrier make it difficult for ELLs to compete with their English-proficient peers resulting in low academic achievement and high dropout rates (Hernandez, 2011; McCardle, Meie-McCarthy, Cutting, Leos, & D'Emilio, 2005). Vocabulary knowledge and narrative skills have been found to be precursors to achieving literacy for children who are learning two languages (August & Shanahan, 2006). Narrative skills and extended monologues are a type of academic language proficiency that children are expected to comprehend and produce during school activities (Ortiz, 1997; Westby, 1992). These skills have also been identified as areas that are problematic for ELLs (Castro, Paez, Dickinson, & Frede, 2011). Compared with their typically developing peers, children with language and literacy difficulties are more likely to produce narratives that include less information (shorter discourse length) and contain less grammatical complexity (shorter utterances), lexical diversity (fewer different words), cohesive adequacy, and organizational coherence (Gutierrez-Clellen, 1995; Hayward, Gillam, & Lien, 2007; Paul & Smith, 1993). Difficulties in these areas can lead to an adverse effect on academic progress (Boudreau & Hedberg, 1999). Researchers have found that narrative skills are a predictor of progress in language development (Cleave, Girolametto, Chen, & Johnson, 2010) and a predictor of later reading outcomes (Dickinson & McCabe, 2001; Gutierrez-Clellen, 2002). Furthermore, the lexical diversity of children's narrative discourse has been found to be one of the most informative predictors of oral language skill (Fergadiotis, Wright, & Capilouto, 2011). It is important that quality classroom instruction include opportunities for ELLs to strengthen second language skills by providing strong connections with their native language and culture. Culturally Responswe Practices That Support Natwe Language Educators who implement culturally responsive instruction create opportunities for children to practice new skills, engage in meaningful experiences, and understand new concepts. Instruction that allows ELLs to draw upon their culture and their first language reinforces a sense of belonging and a desire to participate in classroom activities (Cummins 2001, 2004; Reyes & Azuar, 2008; Taylor, Bernhard, Garg, & Cummins, 2008). It also helps students develop their identities and make sense of their world (Cummins, 2001, 2004; Gonzalez et al. …

Instructional influences on English language learners' storytelling

The goal of this study was to evaluate instructional influences on the storytelling of English Language Learners (ELLs). Participants were 210 fifth-grade Spanish-speaking ELLs (mean age = 10.8) from schools serving low-income neighborhoods in the Midwest of the United States. They received a six-week socio-scientific unit involving collaborative group work or direct instruction, or were in control classes that continued regular instruction. In an essay to evaluate mastery of the instructional unit, students from collaborative groups produced significantly longer chains of reasoning (more chains with 5–8 links) than direct instruction students (more chains with 3 or 4 links), while control students were unable to display any extended reasoning. Following the unit, students individually told a story prompted by a wordless picture book to evaluate their oral English proficiency. The stories were coded for several features of basic language production, story completeness, and multi-link causal reasoning. The results indicated that students who received the socio-scientific unit told stories with more complicated syntax than the control students, while no difference in complexity of syntax was observed between students from the two instructional conditions. Stories told by students who had participated in collaborative groups contained significantly more elaboration of essential story elements than the stories produced by direct instruction students or control students. Students who had interacted in collaborative groups also generated significantly longer chains of reasoning (many 5–7 link chains) connecting story events than students in the other two conditions (mostly 1 or 2 link chains). The results suggest collaborative group work may be an effective instructional approach to foster ELLs' communicative competence and causal reasoning.

FLIPPING BETWEEN LANGUAGES? AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE USAGE BY SPANISH-SPEAKING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER TERTIARY STUDENTS OF A BILINGUAL PROBABILITY APPLET

English language learners (ELLs) are a rapidly growing part of the student population in many countries. Studies on resources for language learners—especially Spanish-speaking ELLs—have focused on areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics, but not introductory probability and statistics. Semi-structured qualitative interviews investigated how a purposeful sample of six (Spanish-speaking) ELLs experienced a bilingual coin-flipping simulation applet (NLVM, 2015) and how students might use such resource to confront content misconceptions and language misunderstandings related to probability concepts covered in college introductory statistics courses. We discuss findings, limitations, directions for future research, and implications for teaching, such as handling the phrases “in the long run” and “longest run”. First published November 2016 at Statistics Education Research Journal Archives

Multicomponent Linguistic Awareness Intervention for At-Risk Kindergarteners

This study investigated the feasibility of multicomponent linguistic awareness intervention on early literacy skills in at-risk kindergarteners. Seventeen students, including native Spanish-speaking English language learners ( n = 10) and native English speakers ( n = 7), participated in a 6-week small-group therapy program, for a total of 12 intervention hours. Students received therapy in one of the following: phonological awareness and letter knowledge; morphological awareness; or a three-pronged intervention that addressed all three areas. Students demonstrated moderate to large gains in word reading ( d = 1.79–2.19), phonological awareness ( d = 0.73–1.59), morphological awareness ( d = 0.57–3.96), and morphological spelling ( d = 0.77–3.0). Analyses revealed no significant differences based on the type of intervention received. These results provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of three-pronged linguistic awareness instruction for kindergarten students at risk for later reading difficulties, including English language learners, in intensive intervention programs.

Native language background and academic achievement: Is socioemotional well-being a mediator?

ABSTRACTThis study examined the extent to which socioemotional well-being mediated the relationship between language status and achievement, while exploring variability in this relationship based on informant (student versus teacher reports of socioemotional problems) and native language background (Spanish-speaking English language learners [ELLs] versus ELLs from Asian-language backgrounds). Participants included 9,046 fifth-grade students from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort of 1998. Results from structural equation modeling showed that Spanish-speaking ELLs reported more social-emotional problems as compared to English-monolingual (EM) and Asian-language ELL classmates in third grade, which partially explained their lower achievement levels in fifth grade. The model accounted for approximately 34% of the variance in students’ academic achievement in fifth grade (R2 = .343, p < .001). When comparing ELL and EM students, results differed when using teachers’ versus students’ reports of socioemotional well-being. For both Spanish-speaking and Asian-language ELLs, teachers perceived fewer social and emotional difficulties than the students themselves reported in comparison to their EM classmates.