Understanding English language learners: Incorporating our own cultural narratives in TESOL education (original) (raw)
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Cultural narratives in TESOL classrooms: a collaborative reflective team analysis
Reflective Practice, 2015
Due to increasing globalization and immigration, there has been an increase in the culturally and linguistically diverse student population in the public school system. Educating teacher candidates to become culturally aware, sensitive and competent in order to meet the needs of this diverse population has been a concern of teacher education programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential usefulness of cultural narratives in teacher education classrooms and determine how they could be used as an instructional strategy to positively influence the pre- and in-service teachers’ growing knowledge and application of teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students with the views of the three TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teacher educators. Using the collaborative narrative inquiry, three TESOL educators, who are from linguistically, racially and culturally different backgrounds, academic settings and locations, analyzed the personal cultural narratives of one TESOL educator. We believe that cultural narratives have great potential as an instructional strategy in educating teacher candidates on issues related to language, culture, identity and diversity.
2021
The purpose of this study was to collect the lived experiences of English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers to amplify the voices of the teachers regarding their needs in teaching multicultural students. This study sought to increase awareness regarding pedagogical approaches in teaching multicultural students, as well as to provide a description of teacher perceptions and experiences about teaching immigrant students. The problem identified in this study, as well as the gap in the existing research literature, is that teachers are not adequately prepared to teach students who immigrate to the United States from other countries. The research methodology was grounded in a qualitative methodology and a narrative research design. Through lived experiences and storytelling, this study explored teacher perceptions and experiences of educating immigrant students. The participants of the study included six teachers that were interviewed, participated in a focus group, and complet...
Advances in Research on Teaching
hold a mainstream view of secondary ELs, which is grounded in assimilation and deficit based practices (Salinas, 2011). This in turn has a negative impact on students' self-efficacy and their ability to be successful when faced with such adversity on a daily basis due to such negative attitudes on the part of their teachers. In Arizona, secondary ELs as well as their teachers are struggling in the educational system (Cammarota, 2012). In the past 10 years issues concerning race, school segregation, and the banning of books and ethnic studies have been shaping the academic trajectory of secondary EL/ immigrant students. As a teacher educator and researcher working with pre-service teachers in Arizona, I find it is essential to unmask, discuss, and reflect on the major educational issues impacting our work with diverse ELs in the field. While working with pre-service teachers over the past six years, many of these new teachers have shared their desire to be better prepared for diverse students. One pre-service teacher commented on the role of teaching secondary ELs in Arizona. She stated, You know it is like we can't use certain books or approaches that we have studied and know that work with ELs and other students. So, its one size fits all. This is not education-we have to change this.
2014
Numerous studies show that mainstream classroom teachers still remain inadequately prepared to teach diverse students and lack the knowledge base and skills to teach English language learners (ELLs). This has profound implications, particularly in the Southeast, where the rate of school-aged Latino immigrants has grown significantly. Thus, this study examined the perceived effectiveness of teacher-training programs and professional-development experiences of 157 content-area teachers in North and South Carolina. Specifically, researchers analyzed self-report questionnaire data from teachers to explore the role of academic course work, professional development, and multicultural experiences in preparing teachers to work with ELLs and other diverse learners. Overall, teachers overwhelmingly reported feeling underprepared to work with this population until they sought more substantive academic training and professional-development experiences. Teachers had diverse experiences but repor...
Multicultural Perspectives, 2022
The study explorers the use of teacher narrative sketches in a graduate level course title, Language Diversity and Literacy Instruction. The narrative assignment asked students to write stories of their own experiences with language diversity in literacy or other content areas. The shared teacher narratives, which drew on their teacher knowledge, allowed the teachers to reflect on their personal experiences as multilinguals while working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. This reflection spurred conversations and strategies for how they could support CLD students better in the future through the creation of caring and supportive classroom environments to promote social justice.
Teachers’ perceptions of students’ diversity, cultural, and linguistic needs, 2023
The need for culturally and linguistically sustaining teaching has become more apparent as school communities across the United States continually grow in cultural and linguistic diversity. This study investigated equity-based instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) students by examining public school teachers' perceptions of preparation for diversity and inclusion of CLD students. A CLD research-based survey was designed and administered to 200 elementary and secondary school teachers in ten public schools in the United States. The study examined teachers' perceptions, attitudes, selfawareness, and preparation toward CLD students' cultural and linguistic needs. The analysis of the data uncovered evidence related to the themes of CLD instructional awareness and preparation in participants regarding their gender, race, age, ESL experience, highest degree, and years of teaching. The major findings of the study revealed the role of CLDrelated training and awareness on the effectiveness of teacher preparation and their perceptions of the diversity of the students. The study concluded by providing implications for teachers, schools, educators, and policymakers on providing an equity-based educational environment for all students including the CLD ones. This is an open access article under the CC-BY-SA license.