This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Anna M. Quinones, Karen Nemeth, Angela Uchoa Branco, Leanne Shimabukuro, Michalinos Zembylas, Zvi Bekerman, Carol Evans, Charlotte Enns, Naomi Knopf, and Claire McGlynn.
(2009). Construction & Deconstruction of Linguistic Otherness: Conflict & Cooperative Code-Switching in (English/) Bilingual Classrooms, English Teaching: Practice and Critique. The socio-cultural settings of English-language and English-medium classrooms are intrinsically bi/multilingual and bi/multicultural as both learners and teachers bring their multiple identities and home-community languages and sociolinguistic practices into the classroom. However, more often than not in such contexts, monolingual ideologies are the guiding principle for the top-down language education policies of "one-language only" which often create conflict and tension. In a postcolonial context, this paper looks at how monolingual ideologies and policies construct L1 as "the linguistic other" in face-to-face interaction in English classrooms which are defined as "English-only". It also shows how the essentialisation of the English classroom's socio-cultural spaces as non-local is met with resistance through the use of L1 which is informed by the local/national ideologies and constructs English as "the other". Against such a conflict scenario, it finds that code-switching is employed by the participants in some classrooms to achieve pedagogical goals and to resolve the tension which also deconstructs the positioning of both English and L1 as "the linguistic other". The paper employs multilayered analyses and draws on data from ethnographic research based in the classroom and community contexts. The data includes, amongst other, transcripts of classroom interactions and opinions of teachers and students about their language choices in such interactions. The findings of the paper suggest that an appreciation of the potential of the positive power, the constructive resistance and the resource argument of L1 use in English classrooms can lead to deconstructing the essentialist meanings of "the linguistic other". [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Conflict, Multilingualism, Ethnography
(2009). Meeting the Home Language Mandate: Practical Strategies for All Classrooms, Young Children. Experts throughout the United States tell us that teachers must support the home language development of all young children. Karen Nemeth emphasizes the important role early childhood educators play in ensuring that young dual language learners retain skills in their home language while building new English language skills. She invites educators to take stock of the resources and challenges in their programs, then shares strategies to improve and enhance almost any preschool program's effectiveness in engaging dual language learners. "By supporting the home language of each child while scaffolding their English learning, educators (and society) have much to gain and nothing to lose." [More] Descriptors: Preschool Education, Young Children, Language Skills, English (Second Language)
(2009). Crosslinguistic Influence on Phonological Awareness for Korean-English Bilingual Children, Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. This study examined (1) the potential influence of oral language characteristics of two languages that bilingual children acquire on their PA and (2) the relationship of PA in L1 with PA and literacy skills in L2, using data from Korean-English bilingual children. Thirty three Korean-English bilingual children, composed of two subsamples from two different locations/bilingual programs, participated in the study. The findings showed that the sample of bilingual children from two bilingual programs differed in their mean performances on intrasyllabic phonological awareness in Korean (i.e., rime awareness and body awareness). Furthermore, children's Korean rime awareness, but not body awareness, was positively related to their phonological awareness and literacy skills in English. Finally, these children's phonological awareness in Korean made a positive contribution to English decoding skills even after controlling for their English sight word reading skills. The results are discussed in light of interlingual influence on bilingual children's phonological awareness. [More] Descriptors: Phonology, Oral Language, Sight Vocabulary, Phonological Awareness
(2009). (Meta)Communication Strategies in Inclusive Classes for Deaf Students, American Annals of the Deaf. How can an inclusive classroom for deaf students be successful? The use of metacommunication strategies by teachers and hearing peers seems promising. Schools that promote this approach tend to improve deaf students' psychosocial development and academic achievement. However, this is not a general rule. The present study identifies the elements of success, with the investigators basing their analysis on extensive observation of 4 bilingual classes conducted by regular education and specialized teachers. The study was conducted in 3 public elementary schools in Brasilia, Brazil. Data were collected through direct observation (156 hours) and video recording (34 hours). Results were qualitatively analyzed from a microgenetic perspective. The investigators devised 14 categories of social interaction, e.g., visual contact and responsivity, multimodal communication, co-construction of meanings, flexible use of space, and sign language instruction for hearing students. [More] Descriptors: Communication Strategies, Observation, Sign Language, Deafness
(2009). Education of English Language Learners in U.S. and Texas Schools: Where We Are, What We Have Learned and Where We Need to Go from Here. A 2009 Update, Intercultural Development Research Association. Because English language learners (ELL) are among the fastest growing student populations in the country, improving the quality of programs serving them is essential to the state of Texas as well as to the country as a whole. Despite decades of experience in attempting to address the language proficiency and academic needs of English language learners, research indicates that significant improvement is needed at the federal, state and local levels, including: (1) More enlightened policies that ensure these students are appropriately identified, assessed and placed; (2) More effective instructional programs that are truly responsive to the unique needs of ELL students; (3) Better professional development that ensures that teachers and others providing instruction and related support services acquire the skills and competencies required for successful instructional delivery; (4) More effective program monitoring and evaluation services that identify effective efforts, inform improvements of those programs meeting with mixed results, and eliminate strategies deemed ineffective; and (5) Increased and more equitable targeted funding that is based on cost of services needed. This policy update summarizes key state and national ELL-related issues and offers policy recommendations for addressing initiatives needed at each level. While recognizing that the conditions for English language learners and the state and local settings can vary extensively, the authors advocate that others can learn from the Texas ELL experience. A list of resources is included. [More] Descriptors: Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Educational Policy, Educational Needs
(2009). Language to Language: Nurturing Writing Development in Multilingual Classrooms, Young Children. The author spent four years embedded in a multilingual kindergarten classroom in which children spoke six different languages and several more years observing multilingual Head Start classrooms. She shares numerous examples of young dual language learners actively figuring out the way written language works in their first and second languages. "When the two written language systems that children are learning are very different, children still draw on their knowledge of their home language as well as their growing understanding of English, testing out hypotheses just as they do in their oral language." [More] Descriptors: Writing (Composition), Written Language, Writing Instruction, Disadvantaged Youth
(2009). Mexican Americans Acquiring Bachelor's Degrees: Whose Opportunity?, Journal of Latinos and Education. This study offers a small, highly contextualized counter-example to several recent large-scale analyses depicting Latino underachievement in higher education (R. Fry, 2002; J. Immerwahr, 2003; S. Miller & E. Garcia, 2004; W. Swail, A. Cabrera, & C. Lee, 2004; W. S. Swail, K. E. Redd, & L. W. Perna, 2003). The purpose is to analyze results from a federal funding program in which qualified and committed Latino students completed university degrees in high proportions. [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Mexican Americans, Educational Attainment, Federal Programs
(2009). Dual Language Instruction. Center for School Success Best Practices Series, New Visions for Public Schools. The Center for School Success (CSS) at New Visions for Public Schools was founded in 1999 to document and disseminate innovative educational practices demonstrated by New Visions' schools that hold promise for increasing student achievement throughout New York City. Over the first year, CSS concentrated its initial documentation efforts on educational practices of immediate concern to educational reform, both locally and nationally. During the 2000-2001 school year, CSS documented five promising practices at 11 exemplary school sites. The success of these schools should serve as examples that New York City public schools, serving the full range of students in New York City, can work. CSS hopes to continue to identify and disseminate a broad array of practices and related materials in order to support on-going systemic efforts to reform the New York City public schools and improve the educational opportunities available to the city's schoolchildren. The schools featured in this publication are: (1) Amistad Dual Language School; (2) Cypress Hills Community School; and (3) Shuang Wen School. [More] Descriptors: Public Schools, Community Schools, Academic Achievement, Educational Practices
(2009). Critical Literacy: Deaf Adults Speak Out, Exceptionality Education International. The purpose of this paper is to describe a variety of teaching and learning strategies that were used within a classroom of Deaf adults participating in a high school English course as part of an upgrading program. The class was conducted in a bilingual manner; that is, being Deaf and communicating with American Sign Language (ASL) was not regarded as a deficit, but as a cultural experience comparable to and distinct from cultures based on oral languages. The students' knowledge of ASL was used to help them develop their skills in English literacy. The emphasis in the classroom was to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning. Teaching activities were designed to help students create meaning around larger social issues. The goal was to improve their English reading and writing skills, and help them relate to what was happening in the world around them and lead them into action. [More] Descriptors: Deafness, Learning Strategies, Writing Skills, American Sign Language
(2009). A Template Analysis of Teacher Agency at an Academically Successful Dual Language School, Journal of Advanced Academics. Evidence suggests that dual language (DL) programs have the potential to foster both significant academic achievement and increased cultural awareness in the students they serve. As such, DL programs offer both language majority and language minority learners the opportunity to reach advanced levels of academic achievement. Nonetheless, the pluralistic goals of the model are not always supported by federal and state educational policies. Given the key role played by teachers along with this conflicted environment, a study focusing on teacher agency at a successful DL school adds to our collective knowledge about how to maintain and support advanced language programs. [More] [More] Descriptors: Language Minorities, Cultural Awareness, Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education Programs
(2009). Autores Bilingues/Bilingual Authors: Writing within Dual Cultural and Linguistic Repertoires, Education. This study examined the writing development of English language learners (ELLs) in a fourth-grade bilingual classroom in Northern California. The purpose of this study was to explore the linguistic and cultural resources the students used to inform their writing and determine to what extent, if any, these resources influenced their writing. The writing process for participating students was observed as they developed stories during Writers' Workshop, a process approach to writing. The study examined the writing of three students who represented an emergent, a developing, and a proficient student. The study employed qualitative research methods that included classroom observations, interviews, and the examination of student writing samples. Students' stories, field notes, and interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings suggest that a supportive social context allowed students to utilize their diverse linguistic and cultural resources to identify themes and topics when writing stories. Students' experiences living in a Mexican and European-American cultural context along with their bilingual proficiency provided additional resources to inform their writing. [More] Descriptors: Qualitative Research, Writing (Composition), Research Methodology, Bilingual Education
(2009). Latino Parent Involvement and School Leadership in High School Bilingual Programs, ProQuest LLC. This dissertation presents a research study of the perceived level of parent involvement in primarily Hispanic secondary schools within Chicago Public Schools (CPS) with relationship to the type of leadership practices self-identified by that school's principal. Data was collected via a questionnaire which was administered to parents of secondary English Language Learner (ELL) students. Another questionnaire was administered to the school principals in 16 high schools in the Chicago Public School System. The research question of interest for this study was: "What is the relationship between the self-reported leadership practices of the school principal and the ESL parent's perceived school opportunities for bilingual parent involvement?" The dependent variable used was questionnaire results from the parents, and the independent variable was the self-reported grouping of leadership style of the principals. There were 90 participants ultimately involved in this study: 75 parents and 15 principals (one principal survey was excluded as he decided not to allow the surveys to be administered to his school's parents). The context of this study is Hispanic populated schools in the Chicago Public School system. This is of particular value because the Hispanic student population is one of the greatest increasing groups in Chicago, in addition to the fact that it is also the group with the largest drop-out rate. Based on the results from both the one-way ANOVA test (p less than 0.05) and the post-hoc Tukey's test, the parents' responses significantly differed between schools with different self-reported leadership styles in the area of "meetings." [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Public Schools, Parent Participation, Bilingual Education Programs, Predictor Variables
(2009). Finding Our Voices: Empowering Latino Students through Partnerships with School Social Workers, School Social Work Journal. Latino youths are facing an educational crisis in this country that is cause for concern. In this article, we present evidence of the pressing need to explore solutions to mitigate educational disparities experienced by this vulnerable and underserved population. School social workers are, by their perspective and training, well suited to seek opportunities to engage students and work toward educational parity. As a viable framework that will enable Latino students to become genuine participants in a more democratic educational process, student empowerment is conceptualized as encompassing three stages: school social workers engaging Latino students, supporting the process, and actualizing the students' potential and cultivating constructive change. While school social workers can play an integral part in facilitating the process of reform, it is by strengthening the relationship among families, schools, and communities that schools can become educationally affirming environments. [More] Descriptors: Student Empowerment, School Social Workers, Social Work, Partnerships in Education
(2009). Latino Families and Parental Involvement: A Case Study of Home Literature Conversations in a Primary Bilingual Classroom, ProQuest LLC. This dissertation study describes and interprets the dialogue between Latino parents and their children during home literature conversations. The participating students were enrolled in my first and second grade classroom in East Los Angeles, California. I was guided by the following research questions in this qualitative teacher research study: (a) What is the nature of the home literature discussions, specifically what types of talk do parents and children use to think about the books they read together? and (b) What are parents' perspectives on their involvement with the school and with their child's literacy development? Data sources connected to the children's dialogue at home and parent perspectives included audiotapes, transcripts, response journals, interviews, teaching journal and field notes. All families participated in home literature conversations and five families consistently audiotaped their conversations at home. The findings from this research demonstrate that Latino parents use a variety of strategies to sustain and expand the reading process of their children. The structure and routine each family set for themselves supported and encouraged their child to relate their personal experience, world experience, and other text experiences to extend meaning. Their talk supported comprehension for the different genres they selected providing opportunities for their children to grow in confidence, become articulate, and be able to engage in rich conversation about books. Additionally, this study revealed that Latino parents' definition of parental involvement differed from those suggested by the school. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Reading, Bilingual Education, Parent Participation, Parent School Relationship
(2009). Teachers' Understanding of Reconciliation and Inclusion in Mixed Schools of Four Troubled Societies, Research in Comparative and International Education. In this article, the authors examine how teachers in four troubled societies–Israel, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and South Africa–understand and implement reconciliation in light of the increasing diversity of these societies. The authors particularly pay attention to a dialogical encounter between reconciliation and inclusion, as they look for ways to contemplate how each might be of mutual benefit in educational theory and practice. In the first part of the article, the authors give an overview of current thinking on reconciliation and its role in education, and suggest that the notion of inclusiveness can enrich it. The context of the research is then provided by looking briefly at the socio-political and educational settings in which the study was conducted, followed by a discussion of the research methodology. The findings from the study are then presented with the main themes identified as arising across the four research locations. These themes concern understandings of reconciliation and inclusion, student diversity, teachers' challenges, helping students deal with conflict, and teachers' development. Finally, whilst acknowledging the exploratory nature of these findings, the authors discuss what policy makers, school leaders and teachers might change about policies and practices for reconciliation education in the four settings studied and, by implication, other comparable settings. [More] Descriptors: Student Diversity, Foreign Countries, Educational Technology, Cross Cultural Studies