Dòng Nội dung
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‘The inappropriateness of language’ : discourses of power and control over languages beyond English in primary schools / Clare Cunningham // Language and education Vol. 33-No 4/2019
2019
p. 285-301

Teachers’ attitudes towards children’s languages and culture have been shown to be instrumental in children’s developing self-esteem and academic achievement. Attitudes and the frequently attendant local policies about languages beyond English (LBE) in schools therefore need to be clear for children, as negative or contradictory discourses can distract from positive work that has been done on increasing inclusivity and embracing multilingualism. This article reports on to the extent to which teachers’ discourses reveal power and control over children’s linguistic repertoires in school. This study is part of a broader project investigating educators’ attitudes towards children who speak LBE beyond English conducted in six northern English primary schools. Interviews from 31 participants were systematically analysed by applying appraisal theory framework. Analysis suggested home language use is controlled by teachers, and genuine opportunities for LBE in participating schools seem limited. This was seen both in schools where an overtly welcoming message for LBE was communicated and in schools that were more muted in their appreciation of children’s home languages as part of their ‘funds of knowledge’. Furthermore, a close linguistic analysis of the participants’ responses revealed contradictions and potentially confusing messages for children about the value of their languages.

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Academic proficiency performance in second and third language: the role of school context / Orly Haim. // Language, Culture and Curriculum Volume 31, 2018 - Issue 2
2018
p. 182-198

This study investigated the role of school-related variables in explaining academic proficiency (AP) performance in Hebrew (L2) and English (L3) among immigrant youth. The following sets of variables were examined: (1) school background (2) academic, linguistic and social-psychological support, and (3) professional staff and school resources allocated for immigrant students. The sample included 267 Russian (L1) speaking students drawn from 18 Israeli high schools. Students’ AP level was assessed via AP tests in L2 and L3. Data about the schools were collected through interviews with the school principals. Multivariate analysis of covariance, controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), arrival age and gender indicated that students’ performance significantly varied as a function of the school-related variables although the effect of these variables on students’ AP scores in L2 and L3 was not to the same extent. The variables educational track (comprehensive schools), upper SES, social-psychological support, teacher training, parental involvement, and provision of an immigrants’ class were associated with higher grades in the respective languages whereas provision of academic and linguistic support were related to lower scores. These results highlight the role of the particular learning environment and context as a source of variation in L2 and L3 performance.

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Language matters : developing educators’ expertise for English learners in linguistically diverse communities / Amy J. Heineke,... // Language, Culture and Curriculum Volume 32, No 1/2019
2019
p. 63-77

The population of English learners (ELs) continues to grow in schools across the United States and around the world. In this article, we share one urban university’s collaborative approach to building educational capacity for cultural and linguistic diversity through professional development efforts that brought together stakeholders from classrooms, schools, communities, and districts. This grant-funded project aimed to build educator expertise to effectively support and positively influence students’ language development and disciplinary learning. Grounded in sociocultural theory, we used an apprenticeship framework of teacher development, strategically planning and implementing collaborative capacity building efforts to foster learning across individual, interpersonal, and institutional planes. In this paper, we share the results of professional development efforts across three years of this project, drawing from observation, interview, and focus group data. Findings indicate that classroom-, school-, and district-level educators developed knowledge of discipline-specific language development, pedagogical skills for effective EL teaching and learning, and leadership abilities to positively shape institutional responses to their culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. Implications focus on fostering teacher professionalism through bottom-up development of EL-specific expertise and expanded opportunities for leadership.

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Language matters : developing educators’ expertise for English learners in linguistically diverse communities / Amy J. Heinke, Aimee Papola-Ellis. // Language, Culture and Curriculum Vol.32, No 1/2019
UK : Taylor & Francis Group, 2019.
p. 63-77 ; 26 cm.

The population of English learners (ELs) continues to grow in schools across the United States and around the world. In this article, we share one urban university’s collaborative approach to building educational capacity for cultural and linguistic diversity through professional development efforts that brought together stakeholders from classrooms, schools, communities, and districts. This grant-funded project aimed to build educator expertise to effectively support and positively influence students’ language development and disciplinary learning. Grounded in sociocultural theory, we used an apprenticeship framework of teacher development, strategically planning and implementing collaborative capacity building efforts to foster learning across individual, interpersonal, and institutional planes. In this paper, we share the results of professional development efforts across three years of this project, drawing from observation, interview, and focus group data. Findings indicate that classroom-, school-, and district-level educators developed knowledge of discipline-specific language development, pedagogical skills for effective EL teaching and learning, and leadership abilities to positively shape institutional responses to their culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. Implications focus on fostering teacher professionalism through bottom-up development of EL-specific expertise and expanded opportunities for leadership.