Last month, the United Nations and people around the globe celebrated International Mother Language Day by focusing on the movements to restore the status of indigenous and heritage languages and other mother tongues, and especially their capacity to improve educational outcomes through increased and improved delivery of instruction.
Institutional recognition of these languages as a measurable asset is also an important step in the process. In the U.S., one of the most significant developments in this field has been the widespread adoption of the Seal of Biliteracy. North Dakota has just the more than 30 other states that offer high schoolers the chance to showcase their second-language skills through the program. However, the popularity of the Seal has coincided with growing concern that variations in its implementation are causing it to become more of an opportunity for privileged English speakers to parade their basic world language skills than for marginalized English learners to prove the value of their heritage language skills combined with English proficiency, as was the original intention.
Education Week recently published a report entitled, “The Truth About Bilingualism: It’s Only for Some Students.” The article was largely based on research out of Georgetown University which found, among other criticisms, that states are promoting “the language learning of middle- and upper-middle class students as an achievement, while the potential bilingualism of Latinx and other students is more of an afterthought,” with the Seal being “primarily aimed at promoting foreign or world language education.”
This criticism may well be justified but it tells us more about prevailing attitudes to educational reform than it does about bias in the implementation of the Seal. Despite years of No Child Left Behind rhetoric, there is little political will to remedy the inequitable funding of our public schools.
Here, in California, some of us still remember the smear campaign that effectively banned mother-tongue education in the state for 20 years. Bilingual education was portrayed as “ghettoizing” our education system by supporters of Proposition 227, the passing of which then deprived millions of English learners with heritage languages the chance to keep up with their English-speaking peers.
The driving force behind the creation of the Seal of Biliteracy was Californians Together, an organization with a long history of grassroots campaigning for minorities in the state with close ties to the California Association for Bilingual Education. Indeed, the decision to use the less-known term “biliteracy” instead of the more common “Bilingualism” was no doubt influenced by the unfortunate stigmatizing of the term “Bilingual” resulting form the campaign against bilingual education in California, and subsequently in other states across the nation.
The reality has been that to garner support and funding for bilingual programs it has been necessary to package them as beneficial for all of society, especially the influential, predominantly white, politically-active middle classes.
Promoters of world language education face another dilemma in that they have to make the economic argument in order to win support and funding. It seems that nobody thinks it’s worth understanding Dostoyevsky, Camus, Zhang Ailing, or Garcia Marquez in their native tongue warrants educational investment, but learning languages for national security or to encourage trade are a different ballgame.
Ideally, we’d all have the foresight to recognize that an equitable education system, where the linguistic and other skills of all members of society were equally valued. But, that’s not the case. The reality is that championing the rights of English learners is not politically exigent so campaigners for language education and educational equity have learned to take a pragmatic approach.
Last month, the education and science minister Giorgi Batiashvili of Georgia signed an agreement with China to promote the learning of Chinese in Georgian high schools. Chinese lessons will now be offered to students in accordance with the national curriculum standards.
The deal will strengthen the relationship between Georgia and one of its main economic partners but may not be welcomed by Georgia’s powerful neighbor and former ruler, Russia.
An independence movement led to the secession of the country from the Soviet Union back in 1991, followed by internal conflicts for most of the following decade. After the peaceful Rose Revolution in 2003, Georgia became more pro-Western, which damaged relations with Russia and led to a brief war in 2008 and Georgia’s current territorial dispute with Russia over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia and many other nations consider the territories to be under Russian occupation.
This decision is said to show the government’s willingness to increase the use of the Chinese language among the working population in the years to come, to help augment the number of commercial exchanges between the two countries.
Language Magazine looks at study abroad options in Colombia and Argentina
Colombia
Colombia’s position as the gateway to South America and the Amazon has shaped its history, making it one of the most diverse and culturally rich countries in which to study. The combination of its indigenous peoples and its colonial heritage give it
a unique flavor.
From its beaches to the Amazon to its vibrant, modern cities, Colombia suits all tastes, and it has become much safer recently.
The country has been experiencing recent positive economic growth and stability and has worked hard to re-establish itself as a leader in the South American tourism market.
As for language, its is often said that the Spanish spoken in Colombia is one of the clearest and most standard in the world. Of course, that’s a subjective opinion but who’s to argue?
EAFIT University
Having daily intensive Spanish Lessons in a vibrant university campus, surrounded by the friendliest of people and living with a local host family in Colombia offers a once in a lifetime experience where students can practice their Spanish, increase their command of the language and really get to know the Latin American culture.
The Spanish program at Eafit University in Medellin offers:
• A program with an international accreditation granted by the Instituto Cervantes from Spain in recognition to its worldwide quality.
• Daily intensive Spanish lessons with highly qualified and experienced native professors.
• Accommodation with local host families, if required.
• A conversation partner to practice language at a more colloquial level, plus the chance to make great friends.
• Implementing classes with local and regional tourism. You have the chance to have activities around the idea of getting to really know the culture and flavor of Latin America in one of the most exciting cities in the region.
Spanish World Institute
Spanish World Institute is situated in Chapinero Alto, a beautiful residential part of Bogotá, near to tourist, cultural and business areas. The school is close to homestay accommodation, recreation facilities and numerous shops and restaurants.It is also easily accessible by bus from any part of the capital. The school has classrooms that are pleasant and properly equipped with video facilities, computer room, library and wireless.
The school program is based on the needs of learners. Teachers plan classes according to the levels and the students weaknesses to support their language skills constantly. During the sixty minute class periods pupils are exposed to real Spanish through different reading, writing, listening, oral activities and visits which enhance their knowledge in the programs: general Spanish, business Spanish, Spanish and Colombian culture, Spanish and salsa.”
Universidad del Norte
All regions of Colombia have their unique appeal, but sunny beaches and Caribbean folklore make the Atlantic Coast region a popular destination. Barranquilla, located near the mouth of the Magdalena River, is the largest city in this region and has become an important commercial, industrial and education center.
Universidad del Norte is a fully accredited university with high quality undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs that encourages scholarly research and creativity providing a unique learning environment in a modern wireless campus with all the resources and labs required to pursue interests in every field.
The University’s Spanish Program for International Students offers foreign students the opportunity to learn Spanish in academic surroundings, familiarizing students with the Latin American culture in order to promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity and development of an intercultural conscience.
Taking up most of the southern half of South America, Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world and has a diverse array of landscapes from glaciers and deserts to waterfalls and vinyards.
Home of the sultry tango, Argentina is characterized by its love of soccer and polo, friendly locals, a passionate culture, mouthwatering food, the gaucho lifestyle, and its European style. The country is also renowned for its vast diversity of climates and landscapes, ranging from the spectacular Perito Moreno glacier, which is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating, to the Pampas — the vast fertile plains which feed most of the country’s 36 million inhabitants with plenty spare for export. And Argentinians make the most of this landscape by inventing endless activities to complement it.
Each city has something different to offer: a cosmopolitan and urban life in Buenos Aires, natural landscapes and university life in Cordoba, extreme and outdoor sports in Mendoza, snowy mountains and blue lakes in Bariloche, and natural glaciers and woods in the farthest Ushuaia.
Argentina is an excellent destination for Spanish language learners looking for a cultural experience they will never forget.
As for the language, Spanish learned in Argentina will be understood worldwide, however, there are a few subtle differences. According to Professor Monica del Milagro Plaza, the director of Bien Argentino, Instituto de Idioma y Cultura Argentina, “All of the varieties of Spanish are correct Spanish. Since Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, regional particularities are to be expected. If you learn all your Spanish in one place (Argentina, Ecuador, Spain, etc.), you will understand Spanish speakers all around the world. However, the [Argentine] differences are lexical. For example, [Argentines] use voseo instead of tu and they use only one “s” sound, as in “song,” for words with s/z/c.”
Buenos Aires
Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, is a South American city with European flair, offering a range of cosmopolitan cuisines and a riveting nightlife. One cannot escape dancing in the birthplace of the passionate tango, where tango houses or “milongas” litter the city.
Home to more than three million people, Buenos Aires is located on the southeastern coast of the continent. Bordered by the Rio de la Plata and the Riachuelo, the city’s inhabitants are frequently called “portenos,” emphasizing the city’s role as a major port.
The Instituto de Español Rayuela is located in the heart of San Telmo, one of the oldest and most beautiful areas of Buenos Aires. Rayuela (Hopscotch) is a tribute to Julio Cortázar’s world-famous novel, and is a reminder that teaching and learning a language should always be an enjoyable game of communication.
The school offers intensive and semi-intensive courses for small groups, fully customized individual and shared-individual lessons, Spanish classes online, and preparation courses for the CELU, the Spanish Proficiency Examination of Argentina.
Eh! Spanish
The ethos of the school is that the communicative method has many advantages when learning a language. In addition, it is important to understand each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and the reason why they decided to learn Spanish. Spanish teachers must be aware of the teaching method that is necessary for each student. For example, an English speaker will experience a new concept on how to use verbs, and understand the difference between ser and estar (in English there is just one concept: to be). However, this issue does not present the same problem for a Brazilian.
Therefore, it is imperative to have different types of books, audio and text. It is conducive to teach without being committed to a single teaching method. The school administers creative learning techniques that can enhance the ability to learn Spanish and generates ad hoc material to supplement what is lacking in some Spanish books.
Eh! Spanish teaches Rioplatense, which is the Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires on the principle that language authenticity is important. In conclusion, each class is focused in a real life communication setting, with vocabulary, and the distinctive accent that the student will find in the exquisite streets of the magnificent city of Buenos Aires.
ONEonONE ARGENTINA was founded in 1994 to provide personalized language services to students from all over the world. Situated in the area of Recoleta/Downtown., the school is an active member of SEA (Language Centers Association) and CTPCBA (Argentinean Translators Assn.).
They specialize in “one to one” and “small group” classes (4 people max.) according to the students´ needs and schedules. Thus, students can join 7-level-Programes, take tailor-made courses, take Spanish for Business, take a workshop on Literature/History or a DELE” preparation course and come back home with an International Certificate.
Classes are held all year round, starting everyday, within a comfortable range from 9am thru 9pm. Also, they offer activities such as Tango classes/show, Salsa, biking, football, among others and help students coordinate their trip: transfer in-out the airport, accommodation and trips around Argentina.
LV Studio is located in the hip neighborhood of Palermo Soho, specializing in teaching Spanish to foreigners through the communicative method. They offer courses of all levels, ranging from Survival Spanish for beginners, to literature and film courses for more advanced students, as well as courses in DELE exam preparation, tutoring for University students, and their popular weekly conversation class, which is freely open to everyone.
Outside of the classroom, they have programs like Spanish Immersion trips to places like Iguazu Falls and the Cordoba mountains, and weekly social events where they encourage students to practice their Spanish with students from the English department, and experience the Argentine culture.
BA Spanish
Located just two blocks from the National Congress, near all the means of transport and the main touristic points in Buenos Aires, BA Spanish offers a friendly and dynamic atmosphere. The personalized attention and the satisfaction to individual needs of each student are their main priorities.
All staff have an impeccable academic performance and several years experience teaching foreign students.
Centro de Lenguas Buenos Aires, located in the Palermo neighborhood, specializes in Spanish courses for all needs. They mix students according to language learning principles: they never have someone with a mother tongue of Latin origin with someone coming from the Saxon/Asian group. They prefer to have smaller groups or one-to-one lessons so that learning becomes efficient and students feel happy and relaxed during their language experience and go back home with an excellent level of Spanish and become acquainted with local culture and customs.
The VIII International Congress of the Spanish Language will be held from March 27–30 in Córdoba, Argentina, with more than 200 writers, academics, experts, and professionals from around the world related to Spanish. It will be inaugurated by King Felipe of Spain and the Argentine president, Mauricio Macri. The theme of the event is “America and the future of Spanish. Culture and education, technology and entrepreneurship.”
It will be the second time that Argentina has hosted the Congress, the first being in Rosario in 2004. Gustavo Santos, Argentina’s secretary of tourism, remarked that “the Córdoba of Leopoldo Lugones [poet] or María Teresa Andruetto [writer] will be infected by the beautiful Spanish language.”
The program of academic events of this panhispanic symposium has been devised by Santiago Muñoz Machado, director of the Real Academia Española (RAE), who is taking into account the broad geographical origin of the speakers (America, Africa, Asia, and Europe) as well as the high proportion of women participating in the event.
Luis García Montero, director del Instituto Cervantes; Santiago Muñoz Machado, director of the Real Academia Española (RAE) and of the ASALE (Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española); Gustavo Santos, secretary of tourism for Argentina; and Juan Schiaretti, governor of the province of Córdoba.
Experts and artists from all over the Spanish-speaking world and from other countries will take part in the event, including the writers Mario Vargas Llosa and Carme Riera and the Ibero-American general secretary, Rebeca Grynspan.
Five Thematic Axes
The symposium is structured around five thematic sections or axes: “Spanish, universal language,” “Language and interculturality,” “Challenges of Spanish in 21st-century education,” “Spanish and the digital society,” and “The competitiveness of Spanish as a language for innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Each section will begin with a plenary session, a general presentation, and a round table, followed by a series of panels addressing the issue in depth.
There will also be three special plenary sessions: a tribute to Víctor García de la Concha, former director of the RAE (1998–2010) and Instituto Cervantes (2012–2017); a concert in homage to the Spanish musician Manuel de Falla; and another session in which the organizing institutions (RAE-ASALE, Instituto Cervantes, and Argentina) will present their activities and projects.
Previous congresses were held in Zacatecas (Mexico, 1997), Valladolid (Spain, 2001), Rosario (Argentina, 2004), Cartagena de Indias (Colombia, 2007), Valparaíso (Chile, 2010), Panama City (2013), and San Juan (Puerto Rico, 2016).
Registration for the event is now open (www.congresodelalengua.org.ar).
English and French still demarcate the lines of a violent conflict in Cameroon. This situation has worsened in the two years since 2016’s police clashes (see LM, December 2016).
According to the Washington Post, what started as peaceful protests has escalated to a secessionist movement and brought the Central African nation to the brink of civil war.
Although there are over 200 local languages in Cameroon, around 80% of the country speaks French, while only two small regions on the western Nigerian border speak English.
This linguistic divide is rooted in the era of colonialism, when France and Britain seized and divided Cameroon between them. The francophone area gained independence in 1960. In 1961, anglophones in part of the British-occupied territory joined them to create a bilingual country.
The French-speaking area of Cameroon is much larger than the English-speaking part, and francophones dominate politics and society.
In 2016, lawyers and teachers peacefully protested what they saw as forced francophone assimilation through the appointments of francophone judges to anglophone courts, the assignments of francophone teachers to anglophone schools, the printing of government documents only in French, and public figures giving speeches in French to English-speaking populations.
The Cameroonian government initially agreed to some reforms, but also jailed many activists. The next two years saw the anglophones’ goal transform from policy change and civil rights advocacy to full anglophone separation.
Currently, a vocal group of English speakers want to divest from Cameroon and create a country called Ambazonia. This group mainly consists of young men, colloquially known as Amba-boys.
The francophone government has said that the Amba-boys have utilized guerilla warfare tactics such as attacking troops and burning down schools. The government has said they have retaliated by burning down what they assert are secessionist camps.
But dozens of interviews for the Washington Post say that those “camps” were actually civilian villages and that the government has indiscriminately tortured and killed anglophone men and women.
Last year, the UN condemned the violence on both sides. Amnesty International reported a death toll of at least 400 civilians in September 2018. Many refugees of the conflict have fled northwest to Nigeria.
The story of a Chinese schoolgirl and her character-copying machine has sparked a debate about how the Chinese language should be taught in this age of automation.
According to the Qianjiang Evening News, a mother in the northeastern city of Harbin discovered that her teenage daughter had bought a machine to help her do homework exercises, like copying chunks of text and writing essays.
“Requiring children to copy text—such as vocabulary, textbook passages, or poems—hundreds of times is common practice in Chinese schools. With a minimum of about 3,000 Chinese characters required for fluency in Chinese, repetition is viewed as the most effective way to drum them in,” claims the South China Morning Post.
Despite festivities and traveling leaving little time for the assignments, Zhang was amazed when her daughter had finished all her exercises in two days, the report said. But while cleaning the girl’s room, Zhang found
The daughter had spent about $120 to buy the device, a metal frame and pen, with packaging claiming it could “imitate all sorts of handwriting,” using money gifted to her during the Lunar New Year, but her mother reportedly smashed it, saying: “It can help you with homework, but can it help you on tests?”
However, the newspaper report garnered considerable praise for the girl and her use of the device to complete time-consuming, repetitive tasks. Most of the comments on the newspaper’s social media posts enthused about the technology.
The devices cost from 200 to more than 1,000 yuan ($30–$150) and work with the paper going in the center of a metal frame, with an arm to which a pen can be attached. When connected to a computer by a USB cable, its robotic arm writes text entered using the accompanying software.
Users can choose from a wide selection of fonts and even use their own handwriting font, by using an app to write 6,000 Chinese characters once each to enable the robot to learn them – or multiple times, so that each character does not look suspiciously identical.
Interest in the machine has led to questions about the necessity of such homework assignments, arguments that the girl should no longer be made to copy texts at her age, and even education reform to require teachers to set challenging and creative homework rather than boring copying assignments.
Parents of Chinese students often cite the development of creativity and innovation as reasons to send their children to study overseas.
A new program is aiming to provide paired nonfiction and fiction books that help newcomers learn about the many aspects of living in the U.S. and set them up for success in their new country. U.S. schools have seen a sharp increase in newcomers in the past two decades. As these students learn English and adapt to living in a new country, they must also learn to fit in socially and academically. Featuring around 14 topics that are critical to success in U.S. schools and communities, GO! Welcome Newcomers® is a new instructional solution for immigrants in upper elementary and middle school grades. Recent immigrants come from all over the world, which means there is a great diversity of native languages in newcomer classrooms. Moreover, customs and social expectations vary widely.
This presents a challenge, as teachers of newcomers may not know how to communicate with students in their native languages. In addition, they may be unaware of the disconnect between students’ understanding of social norms and U.S. customs. Isolation and confusion can be areas of concern.
The need to help newcomers adjust to their new schools and communities drives the topics covered in the GO! Welcome Newcomers library. Topics vary from the most basic information about schools and U.S. currency to overviews of U.S. culture, weather, and grooming habits. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to provide paired nonfiction and fiction books that help newcomers learn about the many aspects of living in the U.S. and set them up for success in their new country.
Reflecting the diversity of immigrants, the books feature main characters from different countries of origin. A variety of family structures and educational backgrounds are also reflected. Each nonfiction book uses photographs and simple, straightforward text to explore a topic and give essential tips for navigating an area of American life. Each fiction book features an immigrant tween between the ages of ten and 14 who is experiencing the topic in a realistic way. Newcomers easily relate to these main characters and make personal connections and observations. Because most newcomers are learning English, special emphasis is placed on building vocabulary. Research into best practices for English language learners shows that gaps in vocabulary make reading comprehension even more difficult for these students. Full-color photos on every page of the books and vocabulary cards help bridge these gaps and allow students to visually comprehend the text while improving their reading skills.
To further support comprehension and fluency, audio of all 28 titles is also available. Engaging male and female narrators read the texts word for word. One of several libraries developed by Saddleback Educational Publishing for today’s newcomers and English language learners, GO! Welcome Newcomers provides culturally relevant books and lessons for upper elementary and middle school classrooms. The boxed set includes 84 books (three each of 28 titles) in nonfiction/fiction pairs, survival vocabulary cards, and a comprehensive teacher’s guide featuring lesson plans, reproducible student activities, and assessments. The readability range is 1.5 to 1.8, and the Lexile range is 70L to 200L. Electronic samples are available at www.sdlback.com/go-welcome-newcomers/.
Kamprehend has developed a new, patent-pending “smart e-book” technology to help English language learners (ELLs) or English-speaking children learning another language.
Most children these days are digital natives and can use a tablet or smartphone before they know how to read. Given a choice between a book or a tablet, the child will pick the tablet every time.
Kamprehend’s 158 award-winning pre-K–4 STEM smart e-books read aloud to children with word highlighting in some of the most popular languages in the world. Readers can toggle between languages on the fly and can adjust the reading speed. Tappable animal and object sounds encourage children to have fun while reading. The more fun they have, the more they will read.
Each e-book is developed from the ground up to introduce or supplement science or math learning through the stories. These are regular picture books that can be read on an adult’s lap or projected in a group setting for all children to see. Each e-book is now available in English and Spanish. Several books (with more being added each day) are currently available in Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Arabic, Indonesian, Portuguese, French, and German. Languages coming soon include Hmong, Korean, Urdu, Vietnamese, Russian, and Italian.
The digital books are accessed via computer (all browsers) or through iPad or Android tablet apps. The books may be downloaded onto the apps for access in an internet-free environment. www.kamprehend.com
Aaron Loewenberg highlights some of the ways Head Start is adapting to serve young dual language learners across the country
It is no secret that the U.S. is undergoing a demographic shift. Students of color are now a majority of kindergarten students and are projected by the Census Bureau to be a majority of all children by 2020. The Census Bureau also estimates that no one racial group will be a majority of the country by 2044.
These demographic shifts are evident in Head Start, the federal program that promotes school readiness for children from low-income families from birth to age five. In 2017, Hispanic/Latino children represented 37% of total Head Start enrollment, up from 19% in 1980. The program has also seen an increase in the number of children who are classified as dual language learners (DLLs), meaning they have a primary home language other than English. The percentage of DLLs entering Head Start has increased from 17% in 2000 to 24% in 2014. These students speak a combined total of over 140 languages and are enrolled in 87% of all Head Start programs. Almost all (96%) of these students were born in the U.S., but over three-quarters are in families in which both parents were born in another country. While high-quality early education, such as that offered by Head Start, matters for all children, studies suggest that DLLs may benefit even more than their peers from participating in these programs. Studies have also found that early-education programs that use dual-immersion models of teaching, as opposed to English-only models, produce favorable cognitive, achievement, and social outcomes for DLLs and their English-speaking peers.
As the share of DLLs enrolled in Head Start continues to increase, programs must work proactively to ensure they are meeting the needs of these children and families. The 2007 reauthorization of Head Start tasked the Department of Health and Human Services with updating the Head Start Performance Standards that all programs must follow. The updated Performance Standards, which went into effect in November 2016, are the first complete reorganization of the standards since they were originally published in 1975 and represent a major step forward in better serving DLL children and their families.
Some of the specific provisions in the standards related to DLLs are unchanged. For example, the standards continue to mandate that at least one class staff member must be fluent in a non-English language if a majority of the children in the class speak that language. In other words, if twelve out of 20 Head Start children in a classroom speak Spanish, programs are required to find an adult to serve in that classroom who also speaks Spanish.
But what is most exciting about the updated standards is that for the first time, the standards mandate that programs “must recognize bilingualism and biliteracy as strengths and implement research-based teaching practices that support their development.” These practices include implementing teaching practices that focus on the development of the home language for infant and toddler DLLs and using teaching practices that focus on both English language acquisition and the continued development of the home language. For the first time, programs are required to assess DLLs.
in the language(s) that best capture their skill levels and must assess language skills in both English and the home language. The standards also mandate that programs develop a comprehensive approach to ensure the full and effective participation of DLL children and their families.
The common thread in the updated standards is the recognition that a child’s home language is an asset that should be cultivated, rather than a hindrance to be overcome in the quest to learn English. Dr. Marlene Zepeda, a DLL early-education expert, praised the fact that strategies for better serving DLLs are incorporated throughout the new standards while moving from a deficit perspective to “a more strength-based approach in a very explicit way.”
The new emphasis on home-language development is supported by a vast amount of research about how to best support the language development of DLLs. For example, studies suggest that strong home-language skills help build skills in English.10 DLLs who are exposed to rich language experiences in their home languages and build strong skills in those languages are more likely to develop strong second-language competencies. For more information about the importance of home-language development, see this joint policy statement from the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education.
While the updated standards set out many requirements for programs serving DLLs, the good news is that Head Start offers several resources to help programs. The Office of Head Start maintains twelve regional offices around the country tasked with providing assistance to local programs. Head Start has also published a DLL toolkit that includes a variety of useful resources, such as research on DLLs and DLL-specific topics for professional development. Additionally, the Office of Head Start has a website full of information about the importance of supporting home-language development. Finally, Head Start recently launched the Dual Language Learners Program Assessment (DLLPA). The DLLPA is meant to help programs identify strengths and areas of improvement for effectively serving dual language learners and their families.
Aaron Loewenberg is a policy analyst with the Education Policy program at New America. He is a member of the early and elementary education team, where he provides research and analysis on policies that impact children from birth through third grade. Before joining New America, he taught pre-K and kindergarten for four years in Washington, DC. Loewenberg holds a bachelor’s degree in government and a master’s degree in educational policy and leadership, both from American University. This article is published with the permission of New America (www.newamerica.org).
Joanna Duggan and Teddi Predaris examine the ten key components of an English learner master plan
Imagine being the parent of a third grader new to a school in a large, urban district. Your child was designated as an English learner (EL) at her previous school, but you are not sure how the process will work in the new district. Will she have to be retested? Are there dual-language programs for her to enroll in? What supports does the school offer for ELs? What opportunities are there for parent engagement?
Now imagine being a ninth-grade English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) teacher in the same district. How can you easily access information about the current process for identifying students as ELs? What is the process for evaluating language programming to determine if it is successful in meeting its goals? Where can you find information about professional development for your content-area co-teachers? Bringing together the necessary elements of EL education—high standards, effective instructional principles, assessment, research, policies, and professional development—in a coherent and consistent manner can present a challenge for schools and districts.
How does a district effectively provide an EL advocacy tool that is comprehensive, responsive to the local context, and accessible to a wide body of stakeholders in ELs’ education (e.g., families, teachers, administrators, community members)?
An EL master plan that is specifically tailored for a district is a solution that can help create a shared understanding for EL programming and instruction. An EL master plan can combine the district’s policies and procedures for the teaching and learning of ELs and lay out a clear and attainable roadmap for supporting ELs in reaching their full academic potential. In this article, we present ten key components of an effective EL master plan, grounded in the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights’ guidance document “Developing Programs for English Language Learners” and Understanding Language’s “Six Key Principles for ELL Instruction” (2013). However, our ten key components expand on these concepts and integrate our expertise as EL practitioners. For each component, we describe what it is and why it is important to include in an EL master plan.
1.Identification Process Ensuring language learners experience a coherent, articulated, and aligned set of practices and pathways across contexts begins with the identification process. Collaboration between central office staff, registrars, and ESOL staff is crucial during this process so that ELs are appropriately identified and their level of English proficiency is accurately assessed. A master plan should address the procedures for administering a home language survey and when and how it will be determined that a student will be given an assessment of English language proficiency. These initial steps are important, as they determine the appropriate instructional services students will need to meet their full academic potential. Appropriate processes also need to be in place for reclassifying ELs and supporting them on pathways to college and career success.
2.Research-Based Program Models Decisions about EL program models should be based on a variety of factors and through consultation with teachers and administrators as well as other community stakeholders.
A successful EL master plan will provide options for current, effective, research-based program models for ELs and also outline support for ensuring fidelity of model implementation (see Sugarman, 2018, for an in-depth discussion of program models for K–12 education). Both practical considerations (e.g., availability of educators with the requisite certifications) and ideological considerations (e.g., the desire of the local community for students to participate in a dual-language program) should be examined, as decisions are made in a collaborative, thoughtful process.
3.Assessment Leveraging the results of both summative and formative assessments allows for the design of appropriate programming and instruction that supports EL students’ growth. Analyzing English language proficiency test results to accurately measure progress and growth is an effective use of data to drive instruction and appropriately designate exit status. EL master plans can also outline how formative assessment is used in the classroom to monitor student learning and provide ongoing feedback that can be used by educators to determine where students are excelling and where they are struggling. In order to use formative assessment effectively with ELs, it is important for teachers to attend simultaneously to students’ strengths and needs both in learning content and in developing the language skills required to express their learning (Heritage, Walqui, and Linquanti, 2013).
4. Effective Instructional Approaches Addressing the district’s goals for ELs involves ensuring implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive instruction. Educators must consider both the strengths and the language development needs of all ELs, including students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), newcomers, and long-term English learners (LTELs). Culturally and linguistically responsive instruction draws on ELs’ home language(s), cultural assets, and background knowledge, regarding them as assets to be used by educators in bridging new concepts to prior concepts and in making content comprehensible and meaningful (Understanding Language, 2013). A comprehensive approach to instruction also includes providing intellectually engaging and developmentally appropriate experiences that facilitate development of English proficiency, target-language proficiency (if appropriate), and successful academic achievement. In addition, scheduling and grouping for ELs should always account for students’ diverse and complex linguistic and cultural identities.
5.Staffing and Resources Planning the appropriate dedicated staff and resources is a crucial piece of designing successful EL services. Having highly qualified teachers, administrators, and specialists who hold students’ home languages and cultures in high esteem provides an educational experience that promotes equity for all students and the access to the curriculum that all students deserve. Developing or enhancing staffing formulas and designing master schedules to support EL instruction and teachers’ collaborative planning time can ensure that appropriate personnel are in place to adequately support the growth of ELs. When considering staffing and resources, an EL master plan will help articulate the factors that have been integrated (e.g., EL proficiency levels, program models) in making staffing allocations.
6.ELs’ Access to Other Programs Providing ELs with equitable access to your curriculum includes the ability to enroll them into programs such as gifted and talented programs (https://ncrge.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/982/2018/06/NCRGE-EL-Report-1.pdf) (Gubbins et al., 2018), Advanced Placement (AP) and honors classes, International Baccalaureate programs, and other magnet courses, career and technical education, or specialized courses of study. Examining entry procedures and ensuring that multiple assessment tools free of cultural and linguistic bias are used in the identification of students for entry into specialized programs can support ELs’ participation in such programs and allow them to maximize their potential for linguistic growth, achievement in the content areas, and a path toward high school graduation.
7.Monitoring ELs’ and Former ELs’ Progress Monitoring the progress of ELs, including LTELs and reclassified students, is a collaborative effort across all levels of a district, including the classroom, school, and district or central office. Classroom teachers are at the core of student monitoring; teachers can keep a pulse on ELs’ current performance in the classroom, modifying instructional approaches as needed. Teachers and administrators should regularly review outcomes of EL student performance relative to expected linguistic and academic progress. The central office provides schools with monitoring oversight and support, following established processes to monitor ELs’ progress, including the progress of LTEL and reclassified students. It is important to have an understanding of how students exited from EL status are performing in order to see the successes, provide ongoing support where necessary, and modify approaches to educating students currently designated as ELs.
8.Family and Community Engagement Establishing and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with EL families and communities is important since the active involvement of family and community members in the work of the schools is essential to high achievement for all students, especially ELs (e.g., Barr and Saltmarsh, 2014; Georgis et al., 2014). An EL master plan can provide successful strategies the district will use for including families of ELs in supporting their education in a meaningful way that respects their backgrounds, languages, and cultures. We believe that families, as children’s first teachers, are essential partners and assets in the overall educational achievement of their children.
9.Professional Development for All Teachers Ensuring educators in all roles at all grade levels are engaged in ongoing professional development will better prepare them to recognize the strengths and meet the needs of the district’s culturally and linguistically diverse students. As the number of ELs has grown to nearly 4.9 million, representing approximately 10% of the students
in U.S. public schools (Office of English Language Acquisition, 2018), the urgency is increasing for districts to take adequate steps to actively develop all teachers with the skills needed to teach ELs. All students deserve equitable access to the curriculum, and as such they need teachers, administrators, and specialists who hold students’ home languages and cultures in high esteem and provide an educational experience that promotes equity for all students, including ELs (Staehr Fenner, 2014; Staehr Fenner and Snyder, 2017). Including plans for professional development for all staff who work with ELs or will work with them in the future ensures that ELs remain a part of critical conversations at the school and district levels.
10.Program Evaluation Evaluating a district’s progress and success in serving its ELs can effectively identify areas that are meeting or exceeding expectations, as well as areas that need improvement. An EL master plan can outline how annual evaluations can monitor the implementation of all system inputs and instructional practices, measure annual program outcomes, and evaluate longitudinal progress toward the overall program goals. Consistent evaluation practices can foster internal accountability for all educators and stakeholders for implementation, outcomes, and continuous improvement that will benefit ELs. Incorporating these ten key components in an EL master plan and customizing it to align with the district’s other strategic planning and policy documents can foster a shared sense of accountability among stakeholders in a community and lay out a clear path for a comprehensive approach to educating ELs. Joanna Duggan ([email protected]) is a project manager at SupportEd, where she applies her experience in teaching English learners from around the globe and working in applied linguistics research to technical assistance projects. Teddi Predaris ([email protected]) is a senior consultant at SupportEd, lending her expertise developed during her tenure at Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, as the director of the Office of Language Acquisition and Title I and in assisting other school districts across the country in developing their EL master plans. Portions of this article were adapted from our blog post, SupportEd’s “10 Keys for Developing an English Learner Master Plan” (https://getsupported.net/10-keys/ 2019).
References Barr, J., and Saltmarsh, S. (2014). “It All Comes Down to the Leadership: The role of the school principal in fostering parent–school engagement.” Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 42(4), 491–505.
Georgis, R., Gokiert, R. J., Ford, D. M., and Ali, M. (2014, spring/summer). “Creating Inclusive Parent Engagement Practices: Lessons learned from a school community collaborative supporting newcomer refugee families.” Multicultural Education, 23–27.
Gubbins, E. J., Siegle, D., Hamilton, R., Peters, P., Carpenter, A. Y., O’Rourke, P., . . . Estepar-Garcia, W. (2018). Exploratory Study on the Identification of English Learners for Gifted and Talented Programs. Storrs: University of Connecticut, National Center for Research on Gifted Education.
Heritage, M., Walqui, A., and Linquanti, R. (2013). “Formative Assessment as Contingent Teaching and Learning: Perspectives on assessment as and for language learning in the content areas.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California.
Office of Civil Rights. (n.d.) “Developing a Program for English Language Learners: Introduction.” https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/ell/developing.html
Office of English Language Acquisition. (2018). “Profiles of English Learners.” https://ncela.ed.gov/files/fast_facts/Profiles_of_ELs_4.12.18_MM_Final_Edit.pdf
Staehr Fenner, D. (2014). Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Staehr Fenner, D., and Snyder, S. (2017). Unlocking English Learners’ Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Sugarman, J. (2018). A Matter of Design: English Learner Program Models in K–12 Education. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute.
Understanding Language. (2013). “Key Principles for ELL Instruction.” https://ell.stanford.edu/content/principles-ell-instruction-january-2013
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