Recently there has been dramatic growth in our nation's population of English Language Learners (ELLs). According to the National Clearinghouse of English Language Acquisition, English Language Learners represent the fastest growing segment of the school-age population. This growth has brought about concerns regarding the number of inappropriate referrals of English Language Learners to special education, and is compounded by the significant lack of research on these and related issues.Supporting English Language Learners
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." - Nelson Mandela
Teaching academic content, while ensuring progress in English acquisition is the responsibility of all school staff. Inclusive schools and teachers embrace English Language Learners in general education classrooms and work hard to provide meaningful opportunities for engagement in high-quality learning. However, there are challenges that arise, as no two students have the same grasp of their primary language or are at the same stage of English acquisition. In addition, as schools are facing the integration of growing numbers of students who are learning English, many teachers have been inadequately prepared to meet the rising challenge of educating all learners. Since teachers play a fundamental role in the education of students learning English, it is essential to provide sources of information so they can enhance their knowledge in this area.
With the nationwide push to provide evidence-based instruction to all students, it is important to acknowledge some of the key resources available, and the organizations and people who are gathering data and making decisions to help educators provide the most appropriate education for all students. This is the focus of our new newsletter, Equity Matters. In this issue, we focus on resources that support educators in building environments where English Language Learners succeed as learners, not just learners of English.
Bridging the Gap From Research to Practice
The California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) is a community of educational leaders whose vision is to showcase research that demonstrates practices and strategies that can raise Latino student achievement in school districts and classrooms. One of CALSA’s many initiatives is to close the gap between research and practice. In order to do this, they are hosting the First Annual Research to Practice Conclave on May 15th, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. The goal of CALSA is to begin conversations that will assist in bridging the research to practice gap, so that research can be transformed into practical applications within the classroom.Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Overshadowed by the myth that stereotypes Asian American students as academically advanced, the needs of Southeast Asian American students, including those learning English, are often overlooked. Southeast Asian American students are among the nation’s growing number of English Language Learners. In fact, following Spanish, the second and third most spoken language of students learning English in the United States are Vietnamese and Hmong. The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center offers several resources that outline the need to push for educational equity among diverse learners of all backgrounds. Their website contains a resource center with specific information and news articles related to the education of Asian American students.
The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) is a national organization advancing the interests of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans through leadership development, capacity building, and community empowerment. Founded in 1979, the SEARAC is celebrating 30 years of service to the Southeast Asian community. The center supports the need to disaggregate data by Asian ethnicity, in order to unveil the educational challenges faced by many in the Southeast Asian community.Translation Services
Language barriers block access to online resources for individuals who are linguistically diverse. Fortunately, there are several free translator services which can assist in breaking down these language barriers. Some of these include:
- Alta Vista Babel Fish; Powered by Yahoo, Alta Vista Babel Fish is a direct translation service offered free on the Internet. Users can type up to 150 words of text into the space provided to be translated into any of 13 different languages. In addition to text, Alta Vista Babel Fish offers translation of entire web pages.
- Google Language Tools; Operated by Google, Google Language Tools works similarly to Alta Vista Babel Fish, but with a larger bank of languages to choose from. Other additional features that Google Language Tools offers include the ability to search across languages and the ability to use the Google interface in another language.
Why Do English Language Learners Struggle With Reading? Distinguishing Language Acquisition From Learning Disabilities by Janette K. Klingner, John J. Hoover, and Leonard M. Baca
Why do English Language Learners Struggle with Reading? Distinguishing Language Acquisition From Learning Disabilities is designed to be a guide for practitioners who teach English Language learners. It presents research-based methods for distinguishing whether students who are exhibiting reading difficulties are struggling because of English language acquisition or if their struggle might be indicative of a learning disability. Each chapter provides concrete ideas and tools for working with English language learners, which makes this book a great resource for practitioners and teacher educators.Teaching and Learning in Two Languages: Bilingualism and Schooling in the United States by Eugene E. Garcia
Teaching and Learning in Two Languages: Bilingualism and Schooling in the United States is a comprehensive look at the current state of bilingual education within the United States. In addition, the author also provides examples of curriculum and instructional approaches that have been deemed effective. A framework is presented for educators and policy makers, to guide future practices. This book is useful for professionals interested in the policy and practices of teaching English language learners.
Understanding the Language Acquisition Process
Understanding English Language Learners' Needs and the Language Acquisition Process: Two Teacher Educators' Perspectives is a NIUSI OnPoint which tackles the complexity of the needs of ELLs. Two native Polish-speaking teacher educators discuss how they use their own experiences and knowledge as ELLs in methods courses they teach in teacher education programs throughout the United States. Each teacher educator was born and raised in Poland, and shares a passion for their primary language and culture with their students, who are either already practicing public school teachers or in the process of becoming teachers. Visit the NIUSI website to read more!Building Collaboration between Schools and Parents of English Language Learners: Transcending Barriers, Creating Opportunities
Building Collaboration between Schools and Parents of English Language Learners: Transcending Barriers, Creating Opportunities, a NCCRESt Practitioner Brief, discusses how to create positive relationships between schools and parents of ELLs. Parents of ELLs represent a vital source of support for increased student engagement and achievement; they bring skills, values and knowledge that benefit both students and teachers. Most importantly, they bring profound commitment and motivation. Visit the NCCRESt website to read more!
NIUSI-LeadScape LeadCast blog: Primary Language Support: Facilitating English Language Development and Sheltered Content Instruction through Effective use of Students' Primary Language(s) by: Dr. Wayne E. Wright
NIUSI-LeadScape hosts an expert guest writers blog, LeadCast. In one of the recent LeadCast blogs, Primary Language Support: Facilitating English Language Development and Sheltered Content Instruction through Effective use of Students’ Primary Language(s), the author, Dr. Wayne Wright, provides a rationale for the use of students’ first languages as a tool for learning English. He supports his stance through specific examples of which uses of students' primary languages are effective and which are not. The debate of how to best educate students who are ELLs is continuously fueling new ideas- some effective and some not. Join the conversation by visiting Dr. Wright’s LeadCast blog.Colorín Colorado Website
Colorín Colorado is a website designed to provide support to families and teachers of ELLs. Colorín Colorado contains resources for gathering ideas and locating research pertaining to working effectively with ELLs. The front page of the site highlights books along with examples of how to use them with children who are acquiring English. In the For Families section, families learn what they can do at home, how to help their child(ren) at school, and how to build positive relationships with teachers. This website is a great resource for both families and teachers.National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Education Programs
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Education Programs (NCELA) is a project funded by the Department of Education, Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA). The NCELA offers support in the areas of:English language proficiency standards and assessments, Inclusion in academic assessment systems, Accountability, Professional development and support for curriculum and instruction, and Administration of Title III programs
Specifically, the NCELA website is a great resource for all professionals working in education. Under the Practice tab, teachers can find lesson plans and take online professional development courses. Additionally, the Resources About tab houses numerous resources about specific topic areas that directly relate to English language learners.
UIC Bilingualism Forum (April 30-May 1, 2009)
The Bilingualism Research Lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is hosting a Bilingualism Forum on April 30-May 1, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The forum will address issues including but not limited to theoretical linguistics, code-switching, psycholinguistics, language policies, sociolinguistics, neurolinguistics, and cognitive sciences.Righting Educational Wrongs: Disability Studies in Education, Policy and Law (May 1-3, 2009)
The 9th Annual Second City Conference on Disability Studies in Education in partnership with the Syracuse University Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability and the College of Law’s Disability Law and Policy Program are hosting a conference, Righting Educational Wrongs: Disability Studies in Education, Policy and Law on May 1-3, 2009 in Syracuse, New York. The purpose of the conference is to present information about the history of disability advocacy and current struggles for disability rights in education.Even Start Funding Opportunity
The William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Programs (Even Start), which include the grants for Indian tribes and Tribal organizations, are designed to improve the educational opportunities of low-income families by integrating early childhood education, adult literacy, and parenting education into a unified family literacy program. The U. S. Department of Education is now accepting funding applications for new Even Start programs. Applications are available both online or a paper copy can be obtained by calling: 1-877-433-7827. The deadline is May 4, 2009.Multiple Cultures, Multiple Voices: Expanding and Strengthening Practice, Policy and Partnerships (June 14-16, 2009)
The Pennsylvania Department of Education in partnership with Penn State Harrisburg and the Center for Schools and Communities is hosting the 2009 English as a Second Language (ESL) conference, Multiple Cultures, Multiple Voices: Expanding and Strengthening Practice, Policy and Partnerships June 14-16, 2009 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The aim of the conference is to enhance current practices for working with ELLs by the dissemination of information to participants. Topics to be presented include educational preparation and instruction; laws, policies and regulations; workforce development; and community, advocacy and family partnerships.
Visit our website: www.equityallianceatasu.org.
Check out our NIUSI-LeadScape guest writers blog: www.niusileadscape.org/bl/.
We at the Equity Alliance at ASU are proud to announce the unveiling of our Language Differences Media Lab. A long time in the making, our lab hosts multimedia resources that aim to promote teacher learning and enhance the quality of education offered to African American English (AAE) speakers and English Language Learners (ELLs).Your Voice Matters!
Please give us your feedback by taking a few minutes to fill out this brief survey or email us at: niusileadscape@asu.edu.
Equity Matters reflects the collaborative relationship between the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), the National Institute for Urban School Improvement (NIUSI), NIUSI-LeadScape, and the Equity Alliance at ASU Region IX Equity Assistance Center. With a new issue every month, Equity Matters can communicate with the broadest audiences and provide the most innovative, vital and current information on issues in education, school reform, cultural diversity, disproportionality, inclusive practices, and much more. Equity Matters will keep you informed of the work of these projects as well as other news and information in related fields.
For questions or comments on this newsletter, please email the editor of this newsletter - Kara Sujansky (kara.sujansky@asu.edu).
To subscribe to this newsletter, please send an email to nccrest@asu.edu with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line or visit http://www.urbanschools.org/subscribe.html.
To unsubscribe to this newsletter, please send an email to nccrest@asu.edu with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.
To view the past issues of this newsletter, please visit http://urbanschools.org/enews/2008_archives.html
