Teaching English as an Additional Language In The Global Classroom: A Transnational Study In The United States and United Kingdom

Global research has shown the persistence of inequality with regard to accessing curriculum with a view to obtaining suitable work and making useful contributions to society.  The intersection of race, gender, language and low socio-economic levels creates situations which often marginalize ethnic minorities in school settings (Freire, 1968; Nieto & Turner, 2012).  The graduation rates in the United States for Native American, African American and Hispanic students are lower than the graduation rates of Whites and Asian Americans.  In addition, Bangladeshis and African Caribbeans currently living in the UK are under-represented in higher education, particularly young men in those communities.  The research questions that guide this inquiry are:  (1) According to databases, how does the academic performance of language minority groups compare to the academic performance of non-linguistic minority groups at the elementary and secondary levels of education?  (2) According to language support teachers and university students, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the instructional practices for language minorities who are learning English in the United Kingdom (UK) (Bristol) and the United States (US) (Henrico)?  Participants were: five UK teachers, four UK university students, five US teachers, four US university students.  Data collection supervised by lead researchers included interviews, focus groups, classroom observation, and performance documents.  Data analysis utilized a mixed-methods approach. Overall, linguistic minority groups performed lower than their English proficient peers.   Culturally, UK teachers provided a greater emphasis on religious instruction, whereas US teachers addressed patriotic topics more frequently.  Teachers in the United States and the United Kingdom were culturally supportive with slight variation in the encouraged use of the students’ heritage languages

Responding to the Need for Language Support: Partnership in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Education

Abstract This study explored how school, university, and community partners provided language support to K-12 students whose first language was something other than English. Six English as a second language (ESL) supervisors representing six Virginia school divisions were asked to describe school-university language partnerships. Research questions were: According to ESL supervisors, how do PK-12 public school divisions and institutions of higher education collaborate on behalf of students whose first language is not English? What do ESL supervisors perceive as ways in which current partnerships could be improved and expanded? Tape-recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed along with information available through the divisions’ websites and the Virginia Department of Education. The larger and more established programs offered a greater range of services supported by school-university partnerships compared to smaller and newer programs. Implemented programs represented a variety of theoretical approaches, including bilingual education, sheltered English, dual language, and High Intensity Language Training. All rural, urban, and suburban programs demonstrated creative efforts for leveraging resources via school-university partnerships. The research was conducted over a period of five years and the findings provided a foundation of need from which to develop an ESL dual endorsement program at a university in eastern Virginia. The research underscores the importance of longitudinal school, university, and community collaboration and research

Language support for immigrant children: a study of state schools in the UK and US

In recent decades, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers have sought a new way of life in large numbers, often leaving their countries of origin behind in search of places that offer a better way of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how elementary and middle school students in state schools in Reading, England (primarily speakers of Asian languages), and Richmond, Virginia (primarily speakers of Spanish), were supported academically, when most children’s first language was not English. The authors were interested in exploring whether or not there were cultural or structural differences in the way each country helped or hindered these students as they progressed through the school systems. Three UK schools in a district of approximately 100,000 and three US schools in a district of approximately 250,000 were the focus of this exploration from 2000 to 2003. Findings indicated that there were cultural and legislative differences and similarities. Teachers and administrators in both countries attempted to provide services with limited and sometimes diminishing resources. Community support varied based on resources, attitudes toward various ethnic groups, and the coping strategies adopted by these groups in their new environments. Marked differences appeared with regard to the manner in which assessments took place and how the results were made available to the public

Service-learning and Civic Engagement in India

With the increased influx of Indian immigrants and India’s recent economic boom, faculty and administrators have recognized the need to expand curricula, study abroad, civic engagement and service learning programs to increase cross-cultural understanding. At the College of XXX, four undergraduate students and the two authors participated in a five-week service-learning/civic engagement program in Kolkata and Darjeeling, India. Pre- and post-assessments examined students’ changes in knowledge of and attitudes toward: Asian-Americans of Indian descent, Indians, and Indian culture. Findings indicated attitudinal changes toward Asians and Asia. KEYWORDSservice-learning; civic engagement; community partnership