Secondary Education and English Learners: We’ve Got Work To Do (original) (raw)

Inciting Change in Secondary English Language Programs, 2009

Abstract

Students who speak a language other than English at home and enter the public schools come from a wide variety of social, historical, and political backgrounds. Research describes the difficulties these students face within a school structure that is designed for White, native English speakers (Cummins, 1989; Genesee, Lindholm-Leary, Sanders, and Christian, 2006; Faltis and Coulter, 2007; Gibson, 1988; Lee, 1996, 2005; Lucas and Grinberg, 2008; Nieto, 2008; Olsen, 1997; Tellez and Waxman, 2006; Valdes, 1996, 1997, 2006; Valenzuela, 1999; Zentella, 1997). Despite advances made during recent years to promote the effective education of ELs, the body of teachers most qualified to accommodate their needs has been unable to match the growth of ELs in schools (Menken and Antunez, 2001). Attention to students in the secondary schools has had even greater deficits. Challenges that impede these efforts include: 1) lack of resources required to develop, implement, and evaluate ESL programs effectively; 2) lack of ESL/bilingual endorsed teachers needed to identify and support the academic achievement and retention of ELs; 3) lack of supportive administration to support the faculty and staff; and 4) the contested nature of language ideologies and Discourse surrounding the teaching of ELs within the United States. In this study, I focused on the need for quality ESL/bilingual endorsed teachers and a supportive administration to construct effective ESL programs in secondary schools.

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