Helping America's Dual Language Learners Succeed: A Research-based Agenda for Action

In the fall of 2014, the Heising-Simons and McKnight Foundations provided support for a National Research Summit on the Early Care and Education of Dual Language Learners (DLLs) in Washington, DC. The goal of the two day summit was to engage and extend the established knowledge base accrued by the Center for Early Care and Educational Research Dual Language Learners (CECER-DLL), while simultaneously informing the future potential efforts by the Heising-Simons and McKnight Foundations specific to the early care and education of dual language learners. Day two centered on the presentation of five McKnight-commissioned papers, the topics of which included: Research Based Models and Best Practices for DLLs across PreK - 3rd gradePerspectives on Assessment of DLLs Development & Learning, PreK - 3Human Resource Development and Support for Those Serving DLLsThe Critical Role of Leaderships in Programs Designed for DLLs, PreK - 3Policy Advances & Levers Related to DLLs in PreK - 3rd gradeThe report attempts to provide a short summary and synthesis of the topics covered in these papers and the discussion generated at the National Summit on Early Care and Education of Dual Language Learners. In addition, a set of recommendations are presented for each topic with regard to the implications drawn from these synthesis and of particular relevance to the supporting foundations' future investment considerations related to DLLs

EFL students’ perception of the use of text-to-speech synthesis in pronunciation learning

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners usually find speaking particularly challenging. One way to improve speaking skills in a foreign language is to speak with native speakers of the target language as often as possible. However this is not always easy in places where the population of speakers of the target language is scarce. Language anxiety is another major hurdle that EFL learners need to overcome. Being afraid of making mistakes, students tend to be reluctant to speak in the classroom. Teachers who constantly correct students' errors can intensify the students' apprehension. A key challenge in EFL learning is that how adequate help can be provided to learners with limited teachers' intervention. This paper reports the design of a study on the use of text‐to‐speech (TTS) synthesis in English pronunciation learning with the aims to alleviate EFL students' language anxiety, and to empower them to learn pronunciation with limited teachers' support. The study adopts TTS synthesis as a pronunciation model in exercises focusing on the supra‐segmental level. While coverage of the segmental level is not planned in the study, TTS synthesis facilitates learners to learn pronunciation of unfamiliar words by listening to the synthesized speech. The research question of this study is whether TTS synthesis can help alleviate EFL students' language anxiety, resulting in improving students' perception towards English pronunciation learning. Six one‐hour sessions on English pronunciation are planned for a class of secondary 3 students over a two‐month period. The instructional design is based on the John Keller's work which emphasises the motivation design. Data about the students' perception on English pronunciation learning will be collected in the first and the last sessions for analysis. Selected students will be asked for any perception change on English pronunciation learning in the study and the reasons behind in subsequent interviews.published_or_final_versio

Second language learners’ divergence from target language pragmatic norms

Pragmatic competence is an indispensable aspect of language ability in order for second and foreign language (L2/FL) learners to understand and be understood in their interactions with both native and nonnative speakers of the target language. Without a proper understanding of the pragmatic rules in the target language, learners may run the risk of coming across as insensitive and rude. Several researchers (Bardovi-Harlig, 2001; Kasper & Rose, 2002) suggest that L2 pragmatics not only can be taught in the L2/FL classroom, but, more importantly, that explicit approaches that involve direct explanation of target pragmatic features are beneficial for learning pragmatics. Just as native speakers of a language acquire a “set of dispositions to act in certain ways, which generates cognitive and bodily practices in the individual” (Watts, 2003, p. 149), instructors can help learners to become aware of the pragmatic features that characterize the target language. Although the importance of explicit teaching of pragmatics is well recognized in the literature, learning norms and rules of pragmatics largely depends on learners’ subjectivity. Learners’ convergence or divergence from the L2 pragmatic norms, both consciously and out of awareness, sometimes depends on whether these norms fit their image of self and their L1 cultural identity. Since identity-related conflict can have significant consequences for the acquisition of second language pragmatics, failing to consider the centrality of learners’ identities will produce an inadequate understanding of SLA. This paper synthesizes studies that document the reasons why learners opt to remain foreign by resisting certain L2 practic-es. The following synthesis question was proposed: Why do language learners resist the pragmatic norms of the target language

Language Learner Strategies

Language Learner Strategies, an edited volume born from a series of meetings at the International Association of Applied Linguistics Congress in the early 2000s, provides a comprehensive overview into the past, present, and proposed future of the field of language learner strategies (LLS). Principally written for language or education researchers, this book is concerned with the strategies learners employ in the process of second language (L2) acquisition and performance in the second or foreign language classroom. The editors, Andrew D. Cohen and Ernesto Macaro, propose that the volume serve as a coherent auto-critique and theoretical synthesis of LLS research to date, with the goal of improving opportunities for all language learners through further research into LLS

Better Policies for Dual Language Learners: Bridging Research, Policy, Implementation, and Classroom Practice

On December 11, 2014, New America convened a group of leading experts on dual language learners (DLLs) to launch its new Dual Language Learners National Work Group. Attendees included educators, administrators, researchers, policymakers, advocates, and representatives from the philanthropy community. Participants heard from a variety of presenters and engaged in dynamic small-group discussions throughout the day to consider how American schools could better support these students.This brief offers both a summary of the Work Group's founding event and a rough synthesis of the core messages from the day's discussions

Cultivating Passion in Teaching English Language Learners: A Critical Analytical Inquiry

In this theoretical dissertation my aim is to research the academic literature in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), compare it to the life experiences of past and/or present students, colleagues, children and myself to reflect and summarize my learning in the form of a conceptual framework that I have named, Framework for Understanding the Teaching and Learning of English Language Learners. The ever increasing number of diverse students in US schools along with the demand for standardized learning and assessments has created a range of challenges for educators that I seek to attend to with the writing of this dissertation. I use the terms second language learners (L2), English Language Learners (ELLs), diverse learners and linguistically and culturally diverse students interchangeably to conform to the terms appearing in the larger academic field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and to vary the academic discourse. These labels refer to students who know a language other than English at varied levels of proficiency; have prior knowledge dissimilar to that of the mainstream population and share differing cultural worldviews. My inquiry revolves around the question: How does Framework for Understanding the Teaching and Learning of English Language Learners, reflect current findings in SLA research to assist educators in making effectual instructional decisions when planning and delivering teaching for ELLs? I selected critical pedagogy for my 2 theoretical framework and critical analytical inquiry for my methodology. The literature review helps me to formulate my philosophical stance and critical claims within the field of Curriculum Studies, synthesize my critical reading, point at the perceived gap and justify my contributions to the academic field. The results and conclusions surge from the synthesis of documents that are reflected and confirmed in the auto/biographical anecdotes, the school portraiture and the researchers participation in the educational setting for over thirty years

Teaching English to young learners: More teacher education and more children’s literature!

This paper explores the demanding and complex nature of English language teaching with young learners. The paper begins with the challenges of the young learner classroom, then goes on to argue that the low estimation of teaching languages in primary education can seriously impact the confidence and efficacy of primary-school teachers. The popular myth that English for young learners is a simple matter requiring neither advanced language skills nor a deep knowledge of educational affordances and pedagogy is interrogated. While it is acknowledged amongst informed teacher educators that language education theory is well served by a synthesis of applied linguistics, education psychology and pedagogical perspectives, the discipline of children’s literature is mostly ignored. In this paper, the role of children’s literature in teacher education is highlighted and the relevance of high-quality language input is foregrounded. Further, the availability of focused pre-service and in-service teacher education, as well as teacher educators with the necessary expertise, is discussed. Finally, the teacher’s role in providing linguistic accommodation to the young learners with storytelling and creative teacher talk is explored. A case is made that the role of the teacher is pivotal, and the opportunities the teacher could share with the children, if sufficiently well prepared, include the collateral-learning educational goals of English for young learners, such as the pleasure of story, multiple literacies and intercultural learning.publishedVersio

Culturally Relevant Pedagogies and Literacy Programs For Newcomer Somali High School English Language Learners

For over 30 years, Somalis have fled dire situations in Somalia in search for a better life in the United States and other countries of asylum. As Somali students enroll in schools in the United States, they must learn the new culture as well as the English language. Many of these students are grade levels behind in the English language. This capstone project uses a synthesis from a literature review and the creation of a website in order to answer the question: What are the most successful pedagogies to use with newcomer Somali high school English Language Learners to bring them to grade-level English reading proficiency as quickly as possible? The answer to this question is to employ a combination of culturally relevant pedagogy and a literacy program in order to teach newcomer Somali high school English language learners English and bring them to grade-level proficiency

The Role of Morphological Awareness in L2 Vocabulary Development in Logographic Languages

The aim of this paper is to synthesize how existing research on morphological awareness (MA) contributes to word knowledge development and how this relationship can be extended to second language learners of logographic languages. Three synthesis questions were addressed: 1) to what extent MA contributes to word knowledge development? 2) to what extent research based on findings in the role of MA can be applied to L1 logographic users? 3) and in turn how these findings can be extended to L2 learners of logographic languages? The findings showed some connection between MA and L2 vocabulary development in both alphabetic and logographic languages, and that L2 adult learners of logographic languages can take advantage of MA as native speakers do in terms of vocabulary development

A systematic review of language and literacy interventions in children and adolescents with English as an additional language (EAL)

This systematic review presents a synthesis of evidence regarding the effectiveness of language and literacy interventions targeting children with EAL. It updates the systematic review by Murphy and Unthiah [2015. A systematic review of intervention research examining English language and literacy development in children with English as an additional language (EAL). http://www.naldic.org.uk/Resources/NALDIC/Research and Information/Documents/eal-systematic-review-prof-v-murphy.pdf.], using the same methodology. Four databases were searched resulting in 2217 records identified. After screening 25 interventions, found in 26 studies, were eligible for inclusion. The results provide collective evidence that explicit vocabulary instruction and targeted oral language practice yield language gains for EAL learners, with a tendency for larger intervention gains in learners with the lowest initial pre-test scores. Shared reading interventions show positive effects when combined with the pre-teaching of vocabulary, embedded definitions into the text, or post-reading reinforcement activities. The review also highlights the paucity of interventions in the UK and in particular, a lack of interventions for adolescents, especially those in upper secondary school (ages 14-18)