This presentation discusses research on bilingualism and strategies for encouraging English language learners to become balanced bilinguals. Research shows cognitive, health, and economic benefits of bilingualism. However, ELL students face challenges in English-only environments, including political, socioeconomic, and educational factors. The presentation recommends schools foster a culture that values multilingualism, encourage parents to strengthen their child's first language at home, and engage community stakeholders to support both first and second language development.
Two years before 2015, the Philippines passed a series of national policies to fulfill EFA’s mandates for lifelong learning and inclusive education and the most controversial of which was the institutionalization of mother tongue based multilingual education (MTBMLE). The MTBMLE policy mandates basic education institutions to use the child’s home language as medium of instruction in all subject areas, notwithstanding the fact that the Philippines is among the most linguistically diverse country in the world.
MTBMLE was never mentioned in the original Philippine EFA Plans but EFA’s requirement to periodically report all EFA-related gains opened a window of opportunity. Who were the actors involved and how did they facilitate the institutionalization of MTBMLE the Philippines? What social structures they had to contend with? What would it take to make it succeed?
This study offers a theoretical frame to explain the structural and actor-oriented processes in advocacy for education reform. It utilized interviews with the MTBMLE champions in the Philippines, along with the auto-narratives of the author as one of the facilitators in the formulation of MTBMLE policy and training and advocacy programs. Other sources of data include Department of Education and Congressional committee reports and minutes of meetings and online forums of MTBMLE advocacy groups. Data show that actors came from oppositional ideological persuasions, yet given the fleeting window of opportunity provided by the EFA mandate, they entered into a negotiated but fragile collaboration. The concerted advocacy campaign moved so swiftly, with deliberate efforts to bracket old political debates on language and identity, bringing to the fore the promise of quality and more inclusive education through MTBMLE.
For over 20 years, City of Lakes AmeriCorps has been developing teachers and youth workers for Minneapolis Public Schools through national service work. Come learn how we utilize national service members in a multifaceted tutoring approach with middle school long-term English learners (LTEL), and potential opportunities for collaboration.
Two years before 2015, the Philippines passed a series of national policies to fulfill EFA’s mandates for lifelong learning and inclusive education and the most controversial of which was the institutionalization of mother tongue based multilingual education (MTBMLE). The MTBMLE policy mandates basic education institutions to use the child’s home language as medium of instruction in all subject areas, notwithstanding the fact that the Philippines is among the most linguistically diverse country in the world.
MTBMLE was never mentioned in the original Philippine EFA Plans but EFA’s requirement to periodically report all EFA-related gains opened a window of opportunity. Who were the actors involved and how did they facilitate the institutionalization of MTBMLE the Philippines? What social structures they had to contend with? What would it take to make it succeed?
This study offers a theoretical frame to explain the structural and actor-oriented processes in advocacy for education reform. It utilized interviews with the MTBMLE champions in the Philippines, along with the auto-narratives of the author as one of the facilitators in the formulation of MTBMLE policy and training and advocacy programs. Other sources of data include Department of Education and Congressional committee reports and minutes of meetings and online forums of MTBMLE advocacy groups. Data show that actors came from oppositional ideological persuasions, yet given the fleeting window of opportunity provided by the EFA mandate, they entered into a negotiated but fragile collaboration. The concerted advocacy campaign moved so swiftly, with deliberate efforts to bracket old political debates on language and identity, bringing to the fore the promise of quality and more inclusive education through MTBMLE.
For over 20 years, City of Lakes AmeriCorps has been developing teachers and youth workers for Minneapolis Public Schools through national service work. Come learn how we utilize national service members in a multifaceted tutoring approach with middle school long-term English learners (LTEL), and potential opportunities for collaboration.
VSS 2012 - State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in CanadaMichael Barbour
Barbour, M.K., Hainsworth, S., Canuel, M., Flello, K., & Elridge, C. (2012, October). State of the Nation: K-12 online learning in Canada. A panel presentation at the annual Virtual School Symposium, New Orleans, LA.
This panel examines K-12 online learning in Canada based on the 2011 edition of this on-going study. The session will begin with a brief description of the policies that govern and the level of activity of K-12 online learning in all thirteen provinces and territories, along with the various models that have developed across the country. Then the panel will outline some of the issues still facing K-12 online learning in Canada from the perspective of their individual programs.
Train-the-Trainer: OR Community Colleges Open Textbook WorkshopSarah Cohen
With Dave Ernst, slide from the Open Textbook Network (open.umn.edu) all-day workshop with OR Community Colleges and Open Oregon. Our goal is to help identify and overcome barriers to open textbook adoption, build capacity for open textbooks at individual campuses and across the system, and prepare representatives to give workshops on their own.
Barriers to Open Textbook Adoption: University of KansasSarah Cohen
A workshop for library faculty and staff, teaching and learning staff, instructional designers, and anyone who supports faculty in adopting course materials.
This PPT provides an overview of ColorinColorado.org, a free website providing bilingual resources to parents and educators of ELLs. The website is funded by the American Federation of Teachers and Department of Education.
Director: Dr Manuel E. Cortés, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins
Chief Editor: Prof. Lorena Maluenda, Head of Departamento de Idiomas, Universidad
Bernardo O ́Higgins
Prof. Claudia Rodríguez, Departamento de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Associate Editors:
Prof. Diego Monasterio, Departamento de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Prof. Mirona Moraru, Escuela de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Collaborators:
Prof. Ulises Sánchez, Head of Escuela de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Prof. Bárbara Echard, President TESOL Chile 2021
Prof. Mireya Aguilera, President IATEFL Chile 2021
Prof. Billy Forward, Vice-president IATEFL Chile 2021
EDITORIAL BOARD
MESSAGE OF THE DIRECTOR
OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Dear Community,
It is a pleasure to be part of this academic project that started last
year — amid the COVID-19 pandemic— and that today rises under Departamento de Idiomas and Escuela de Idiomas at Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, in conjunction with the recognised professional associations TESOL Chile and IATEFL Chile.
On behalf of the Editorial Committee, I would like to thank each of the authors who are part of this first issue of ELT Connections. We hope to be a bridge for expanding new knowledge and an anchor to socialise critical and contemporary issues
emerging from the ELT world that often need more communication channels, thus giving space to an
audience that requires permanent updates in the field. We trust that this E-zine will be a valuable
contribution for teachers, students, and the academic community in general
immersed in the learning, teaching, and dissemination of the English language both nationally and internationally.
Kind regards,
Prof Manuel E. Cortés, PhD
Dean Faculty of Education
Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed tAlleneMcclendon878
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: Carolina Perez, former graduate student in Counselor
Education, Educational Foundations & Counseling Programs, Hunter College of the City University of New York New
York, NY 10065 Email: [email protected]
Article 1129
Understanding the Challenges of English Language Learners and
Increasing College-Going Culture: Suggestions for School Counselors
Carolina P. Perez and Stephaney S. Morrison
Perez, Carolina P., is a school counselor for grades 9–12. Perez works with ELLs
and immigrant families to empower and provide them with the resources necessary
to succeed in the United States. As a former ELL and undocumented student who
migrated at the age of 11, her passion is to advocate for immigrant students and
families.
Morrison, Stephaney S., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education
in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions at Fairfield University,
CT. Dr. Morrison was an elementary/junior high school counselor in her native
country, Jamaica. Her research is focused on issues that impact Caribbean
immigrant families and children; specifically, the academic, socio-emotional, and
career/college issues of Caribbean immigrant children living in the United States.
She also focuses on preparing school counselors to work with immigrant children.
Abstract
English language learners (ELLs) represent a growing population in the U.S. K–
12 system. Research has shown that these students face many challenges that affect
their trajectory to college. The challenges include, but are not limited to, issues
related to academics, socioeconomic status, parental involvement, and socio-
emotional strains. This article explores the many obstacles ELLs face that affect
their college/career access and attainment and provides suggestions for school
counselors working with ELLs to increase their college-going culture.
Keywords: English language learners, immigrants, college counseling, college-
going culture
English language learners (ELLs) is a term used to refer to students who receive
any language assistance program (Cook, 2015). ELLs in the United States are a diverse
group who speak hundreds of different languages from many parts of the world; they differ
in ethnicity, culture, educational background, and socioeconomic status (American Youth
Policy Forum, 2009). In addition, not all ELLs are immigrants; some are born and raised
in the United States (American Youth Policy Forum, 2009). Although ELLs come from
different backgrounds, it is important to note that the largest group of ELLs in the United
Ideas and Research You Can Use: VISTAS 2016
2
States are Spanish-speaking students (Winsler et al., 2014). In addition, ELLs are said to
be the fastest growing group of students in K–12 education (Kanno & Cromley, 2015). The
U.S Department of Education (2006) predicted that ELLs will represent ...
VSS 2012 - State of the Nation: K-12 Online Learning in CanadaMichael Barbour
Barbour, M.K., Hainsworth, S., Canuel, M., Flello, K., & Elridge, C. (2012, October). State of the Nation: K-12 online learning in Canada. A panel presentation at the annual Virtual School Symposium, New Orleans, LA.
This panel examines K-12 online learning in Canada based on the 2011 edition of this on-going study. The session will begin with a brief description of the policies that govern and the level of activity of K-12 online learning in all thirteen provinces and territories, along with the various models that have developed across the country. Then the panel will outline some of the issues still facing K-12 online learning in Canada from the perspective of their individual programs.
Train-the-Trainer: OR Community Colleges Open Textbook WorkshopSarah Cohen
With Dave Ernst, slide from the Open Textbook Network (open.umn.edu) all-day workshop with OR Community Colleges and Open Oregon. Our goal is to help identify and overcome barriers to open textbook adoption, build capacity for open textbooks at individual campuses and across the system, and prepare representatives to give workshops on their own.
Barriers to Open Textbook Adoption: University of KansasSarah Cohen
A workshop for library faculty and staff, teaching and learning staff, instructional designers, and anyone who supports faculty in adopting course materials.
This PPT provides an overview of ColorinColorado.org, a free website providing bilingual resources to parents and educators of ELLs. The website is funded by the American Federation of Teachers and Department of Education.
Director: Dr Manuel E. Cortés, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins
Chief Editor: Prof. Lorena Maluenda, Head of Departamento de Idiomas, Universidad
Bernardo O ́Higgins
Prof. Claudia Rodríguez, Departamento de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Associate Editors:
Prof. Diego Monasterio, Departamento de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Prof. Mirona Moraru, Escuela de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Collaborators:
Prof. Ulises Sánchez, Head of Escuela de Idiomas, Universidad Bernardo O ́Higgins
Prof. Bárbara Echard, President TESOL Chile 2021
Prof. Mireya Aguilera, President IATEFL Chile 2021
Prof. Billy Forward, Vice-president IATEFL Chile 2021
EDITORIAL BOARD
MESSAGE OF THE DIRECTOR
OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Dear Community,
It is a pleasure to be part of this academic project that started last
year — amid the COVID-19 pandemic— and that today rises under Departamento de Idiomas and Escuela de Idiomas at Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, in conjunction with the recognised professional associations TESOL Chile and IATEFL Chile.
On behalf of the Editorial Committee, I would like to thank each of the authors who are part of this first issue of ELT Connections. We hope to be a bridge for expanding new knowledge and an anchor to socialise critical and contemporary issues
emerging from the ELT world that often need more communication channels, thus giving space to an
audience that requires permanent updates in the field. We trust that this E-zine will be a valuable
contribution for teachers, students, and the academic community in general
immersed in the learning, teaching, and dissemination of the English language both nationally and internationally.
Kind regards,
Prof Manuel E. Cortés, PhD
Dean Faculty of Education
Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Chile
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed tAlleneMcclendon878
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: Carolina Perez, former graduate student in Counselor
Education, Educational Foundations & Counseling Programs, Hunter College of the City University of New York New
York, NY 10065 Email: [email protected]
Article 1129
Understanding the Challenges of English Language Learners and
Increasing College-Going Culture: Suggestions for School Counselors
Carolina P. Perez and Stephaney S. Morrison
Perez, Carolina P., is a school counselor for grades 9–12. Perez works with ELLs
and immigrant families to empower and provide them with the resources necessary
to succeed in the United States. As a former ELL and undocumented student who
migrated at the age of 11, her passion is to advocate for immigrant students and
families.
Morrison, Stephaney S., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education
in the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions at Fairfield University,
CT. Dr. Morrison was an elementary/junior high school counselor in her native
country, Jamaica. Her research is focused on issues that impact Caribbean
immigrant families and children; specifically, the academic, socio-emotional, and
career/college issues of Caribbean immigrant children living in the United States.
She also focuses on preparing school counselors to work with immigrant children.
Abstract
English language learners (ELLs) represent a growing population in the U.S. K–
12 system. Research has shown that these students face many challenges that affect
their trajectory to college. The challenges include, but are not limited to, issues
related to academics, socioeconomic status, parental involvement, and socio-
emotional strains. This article explores the many obstacles ELLs face that affect
their college/career access and attainment and provides suggestions for school
counselors working with ELLs to increase their college-going culture.
Keywords: English language learners, immigrants, college counseling, college-
going culture
English language learners (ELLs) is a term used to refer to students who receive
any language assistance program (Cook, 2015). ELLs in the United States are a diverse
group who speak hundreds of different languages from many parts of the world; they differ
in ethnicity, culture, educational background, and socioeconomic status (American Youth
Policy Forum, 2009). In addition, not all ELLs are immigrants; some are born and raised
in the United States (American Youth Policy Forum, 2009). Although ELLs come from
different backgrounds, it is important to note that the largest group of ELLs in the United
Ideas and Research You Can Use: VISTAS 2016
2
States are Spanish-speaking students (Winsler et al., 2014). In addition, ELLs are said to
be the fastest growing group of students in K–12 education (Kanno & Cromley, 2015). The
U.S Department of Education (2006) predicted that ELLs will represent ...
n this session, participants will discuss the importance of partnerships and articulation among various
Chinese teaching institutions, using as a model a successful partnership between a Confucius Institute and a community-based heritage language school. This collaboration benefits both institutions in promoting Chinese language and culture locally, offering professional development to teachers, and increasing students’ motivation to learn Chinese. Then participants will focus on partnerships between K–12 public schools and community-based heritage language schools, which can create a short-term solution to teacher shortage issues in the former by recruiting teachers from the latter. They can also provide a long-term opportunity for K–12 public schools to experience Chinese culture via the heritage
schools’ cultural activities.
EU-US insights into Open Educational Practices for language educationLangOER
Out in the Open, reaching for the stars: EU-US insights into Open Educational Practices for language education
LangOER webinar, 15 September 2015
By Joshua Thoms, US, Carl Blyth, US, Katerina Zourou, GR, Teresa MacKinnon, UK
Access the recording of the meeting here: https://warwick.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/LangOER+webinar+15.09.15/1_32xasrxn/6227901
This presentation, given on March 11, 2009, by Pearson Curriculum's Debbie Nix at the 2009 Pearson Digital Pacific District Executive Forum, explored the importance of integrating the development of new lieracies and 21st century skills into core literacy instruction.
2. Essential Questions
What does research say about bilingualism?
What challenges do emergent bilinguals face when
living and attending school in a monolingual
environment?
What can school stakeholders do to encourage ELL
students to become more balanced bilinguals (and in
turn, achieve higher levels of academic success)?
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 2
3. • Cognitive
• Health
• Economic
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 3
Research on the
Bilingual Mind:
Benefits
4. Cognitive and Health Benefits
1. enhanced cognitive performance (verbal and nonverbal!)
2. more executive control across the life span
3. improved metalinguistic awareness
4. better memory, visual-spatial skills, and even creativity.
5. delay in onset of dementia (Alzheimer’s)
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 4
5. Economic Benefits
Balanced bilingual students earn significantly more as
adults at the beginning of their career than those linguistic
minorities who were dominantly proficient in English only.
Bilingual students are more likely to gain admission to
prestigious universities, higher-status employment, access
to certain government positions, and a wider variety of
employment options (Abu-Rabia, 1999; Wee, 2003).
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 5
7. Benefits to Society
Bilingualism facilitates cross-cultural
communication in a global society
Bilingual immigrant students are more
academically successful and socially well-
adapted in the long term (Mora, 16)
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015
Toronto, ON, Canada
7
9. Research on Academic Achievement for ELLs
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 9
Bilingual education actually
can provide advantages, such
as enhancing cognitive
thinking skills
Bilingual education
programs have been shown
to be effective for ELL and
native English speakers
(Center for Research on Education)
ELLs who attended
English-only programs
showed large decreases in
math and reading
achievement
(Honigsfeld 80)
ELLs who attended English-
only programs had the
largest number of dropouts
(Honigsfeld 80)
11. US Politics Surrounding Bilingualism
English-only
movement
31 US States have
Official English Laws
Harshest
Immigration Law
HB56 Passed in
2011 in Alabama
Fails
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 11
U.S. English. Official English. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.us-english.org/view/13
Coke Ad
12. School Factors
Impossible to offer bilingual education for all
Shortage of bilingual certified teachers
Lack of funding
Myths surrounding L2 acquisition
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 12
13. Socioeconomic Factors
Poverty
Issues of Language Power
Parents with Low Literacy
in L1
Lack of reading materials
at the home in L1 and L2
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015
Toronto, ON, Canada
13
14. 2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 14
Westerlund, R. Language is Never Neutral [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/rawesterlund/language-is-never-neutral
15. Encouraging Students
to Become
More Balanced
Bilinguals
• School
• Home
• Community
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 15
16. Focus on Schools:
Fostering a School Culture Where Multiculturalism
and Bilingualism Are Valued and Accepted
Bilingual Signs
Bilingual Communications (oral / written)
Special Events (Hispanic Heritage Month / Author Visit / Multicultural Events)
Read Across America Week (Bilingual Readers)
Bilingual books for the classroom and school library
Morning Forecast - Word of the Day
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 16
17. Focus on the Home:
Parents Actively Strengthen L1 at Home
Parents of young children get
involved in the educational process
Parents read with their children
every night in L1
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 17
18. Focus on the Community:
Community Stakeholders Strengthen L1 and L2
Church-sponsored L1 literacy programs
Literacy Programs at the Public Library
Multi-Cultural Events in the Community
Sports Youth Leagues
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 18
19. “Although structured
English immersion
approaches can succeed,
bilingual programs offer
a bonus : bilingual and
biliterate citizens.”
Timothy Boals, Director, WIDA
Learning English is Not Enough, 2013
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 19
20. Sources:
Bialystok, Ellen (2011). Reshaping the mind: The benefits of bilingualism. Canadian Journal of
Experimental Psychology , 65 (4), 229-235.
Lo Bianco, J., A. J. Liddicoat and C. Crozet. (eds) (1999). Striving for the third place:
Intercultural competence through language education. Melbourne: Language Australia.
Marian, V., & Shook, A. (2012, September). The cognitive benefits of being bilingual. In
Cerebrum: the Dana forum on brain science (Vol. 2012). Dana Foundation.
Mora, J. K. (2009). From the Ballot Box to the Classroom. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 14-19.
Parmon, P. (2011). Educating immigrant children: Bilingualism in America’s schools. Social
Sciences Journal, 10(1), 14.
Serdyukov, P. (2010). Can Balanced Bilingualism Be Achieved in a Multicultural Society?
Second and First Language Implications. Publication of National University, 125.
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/news/coverStories/2013/learning_english_isnt_enough.php
2015 TESOL Convention March 26, 2015 Toronto, ON, Canada 20
Editor's Notes
Researchers have shown that the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain, thanks to its developed ability to inhibit one language while using another. In addition, bilingualism has positive effects at both ends of the age spectrum: Bilingual children as young as seven months can better adjust to environmental changes, while bilingual seniors can experience less cognitive decline.
Research found that both languages of a bilingual speaker are constantly active to some degree, even in strongly monolingual contexts where there is no
reason to expect to use one of the languages. The explanation proposed for the enhanced executive control found in these studies is that bilinguals use this system to manage attention to jointly activated competing languages. Therefore, not only do bilinguals typically perform these executive control tasks
more effectively than monolinguals but they also recruit different brain networks in those performances
Bilingual people often perform better on tasks that require conflict management. In the classic Stroop task, people see a word and are asked to name the color of the word’s font. When the color and the word match (i.e., the word “red” printed in red), people correctly name the color more quickly than when the color and the word don’t match (i.e., the word “red” printed in blue). This occurs because the word itself (“red”) and its font color (blue) conflict. The cognitive system must employ additional resources to ignore the irrelevant word and focus on the relevant color. The ability to ignore competing perceptual information and focus on the relevant aspects of the input is called inhibitory control. Bilingual people often perform better than monolingual people at tasks that tap into inhibitory control ability. Bilingual people are also better than monolingual people at switching between two tasks; for example, when bilinguals have to switch from categorizing objects by color (red or green) to categorizing them by shape (circle or triangle), they do so more rapidly than monolingual people, reflecting better cognitive control when changing strategies on the fly.
Bilingual adults learn a third language better than monolingual adults learn a second language.22 The bilingual language-learning advantage may be rooted in the ability to focus on information about the new language while reducing interference from the languages they already know.2
Hanson, D. A. (2011). Reinventing the melting pot: The new immigrants and what it
means to be American. Journal of American Folklore 124.491: 112+. Literature
Resource Center. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
2. Portes (Sociology) and Rumbaut (Education) Students who retain their bilingual skills and their ties to their parents’ culture of origin are more academically successful and socially well-adapted in the long term than their peers who become monolingual in English.
Mora, Jill Kerper. “From the Ballot Box to the Classroom.” Educational Leadership 66.7 (2009): 14-19.
2 key findings:
90/10 and 50/50 Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Programs helped students score above 50 percent of the other test takers in their own language and in English in all subject areas. The 90/10 Program allows students to receive 90 percent of instruction in their native language, which is then gradually reduced to 50 percent. In the 50/50 model the students are taught in both their native language and English for equal amounts of time.
2. English language learners who attended English-only programs showed large decreases in math and reading achievement, and the largest number of dropouts came from this group (Honigsfeld 80).
3 and 4. Honigsfeld, Andrea. “ELL Programs: Not ‘One Size Fits All.’” Kappa Delta Pi Record 45.4 (2009): 166-171.
1. Landlords were banned from renting homes to undocumented immigrants
2. Schools had to check students’ legal status
3. Police were required to arrest suspected immigration violators.
4. Even giving unauthorized immigrants a ride became a crime.
Undocumented immigrants appeared to flee Alabama en masse. Unconstitutional, unworkable, or politically unsustainable
Westerlund, R. Language is Never Neutral [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/rawesterlund/language-is-never-neutral