<p> This qualitative research highlights the voices and lived experiences of adolescent Japanese sojourner students and their mothers residing in the Midwest. The central goals of this research are to understand what adolescent Japanese sojourner students&rsquo; school experiences in the U.S. are like&mdash;particularly in areas with small Japanese populations&mdash;and how their experiences in the U.S. shape their current identities as cultural and linguistic minority students. This research also aims to learn how the students&rsquo; sojourning experiences influenced their mindsets as future returnee students. I conducted an in-depth case study with a phenomenographic approach as the theoretical framework to deeply investigate the lives of adolescent Japanese sojourner students. The findings of this research revealed that the Japanese sojourner students&mdash;who were also considered cultural and linguistic minority students&mdash;encountered various difficulties and challenges at their local schools due to cultural differences and the language barrier; these issues often prevented the students from establishing friendships and expressing themselves at their local schools. At the same time, I found that several sojourner students and mothers valued the students&rsquo; local school experiences for the opportunity to learn authentic English and cultivate cultural awareness. The research findings suggest that the Japanese students&rsquo; sojourning experiences impacted their identity development&mdash;namely, identity negotiation and maintenance. Additionally, I extracted six prominent findings that are specific to sojourner residents in areas with small Japanese populations that are likely apply to any sojourner living in any area of the United States with a small Japanese population.</p>

<p> This qualitative study was designed to explore the perceptions that adult Spanish-speaking English as a Second Language learners have on their language learning. Half of the participants have experienced getting stuck on a learning plateau, while the others continued to make progress. </p><p> The rationale arises from the researcher&rsquo;s desire to help students who struggle learning English. It was the researcher&rsquo;s assumption that adding critical reflection to one&rsquo;s learning would help language learners make progress again. The participants were purposefully selected and consisted of 18 Spanish speakers who were studying in an intermediate-level English as a Second Language course in a noncredit program at a community college. </p><p> Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with 18 participants as the primary method, focus groups, and document analysis. All participants had been enrolled in an intermediate-level ESL course at the time of the data collection. The research questions guided the coding and organization of the data. Two analytic categories formed the basis of the analysis and interpretation: (a) Progress is dependent upon extent to which acculturation facilitates language acquisition, and (b) Progress is dependent upon the extent to which participants engage in Self-Directed Learning. </p><p> The research revealed that English language learners perceive the language to be the largest barrier in their acculturation to the United States. The research also showed that the majority of participants seek out others to help them when they have difficulty and that they reported taking classes as helping them the most to learn the language. </p><p> Recommendations offered to learners are to begin the learning of English sooner rather than later to lessen the shock with which the language confronts them. This aids in faster acculturation. Another recommendation is for learners to engage in self-directed learning with a purpose. Engaging with a purpose allows learners to reflect on their learning and develop ways to that they can interact more with others who speak the language.</p>

<p> Researchers have explored immigrant identity in various contexts, but few studies have examined identity in low-income immigrant women entrepreneurs. To address this research gap, I conducted in-depth interviews with eight low-income Latino immigrants who were starting their own businesses and receiving support through a local microenterprise development program (MDP). The study explored how participants&rsquo; microenterprise efforts affected their identities and their investments in learning English. </p><p> The research found that entrepreneurship promoted positive identity construction by providing opportunities for participants to develop personal and cultural pride, strengthened parental roles, and interdependence with the community. These benefits helped participants decrease family stress and increase optimism for the future, regardless of the microenterprises&rsquo; financial success. Participants reported that their families were healthier and their children were doing better in school, suggesting a broad impact beyond the business owner. This finding indicates that MDPs and other social service programs should have explicit goals related to increasing participants&rsquo; symbolic resources. In the language-learning realm, this study introduced the construct <i> "relationship with English,"</i> extending Norton&rsquo;s (2000) notion of investment in language learning. The <i>relationship</i> construct encompasses the situated nature of immigrants&rsquo; English use, investment in learning, and feelings about using English. The businesses helped most participants improve their relationship with English by providing motivation and informal learning opportunities. The non-English speaking participants improved their relationship with English by finding ways to <i>use</i> English even without working on their ability to speak. This finding suggests that social service agencies, ESL programs, and employers should broaden their view of immigrants&rsquo; capabilities to use English and to invest creatively in their own learning. Another significant finding was that participants demonstrated signs of internalized racism, which can make it hard for immigrants to see their own strengths. New research could help MDPs and other social service providers address internalized racism and decrease its negative impact on identity construction. Looking ahead, long-term studies of MDP participants could help optimize program design, extend learnings to other types of programs, and help providers, policymakers, and funders allocate resources for maximum effect.</p>

<p> Educational psychology is concerned with increasing the efficacy of teaching and learning while questioning why students from under-represented groups persistently under-perform their peers academically. Students most at risk for poor academic outcomes and most at risk for dropping out of school are American-born students of Mexican origin. Native or second generation-plus Hispanics have the highest high school dropout rate of any U.S. born racial or ethnic group. The purpose of this study was to answer the research question, &ldquo;How do native Hispanic male long-term English language learners describe the experience of schooling within the educational context of one public school system?&rdquo; Examined were long-term English language learners&rsquo; salient psychological experiences of schooling within the independent and interconnecting contexts of one public school system. The four elements of setting based on Bronfenbrenner&rsquo;s ecological structure of the educational environment were examined; roles and relationships, activities, place, and time. In addition, the valence of each participant&rsquo;s experiences was examined. Three educational contexts were defined in this study: the English language development classroom (micro-system); the mainstream classroom (micro-system); and the school campus (meso-system). The body of empirical research relating to Hispanic students, English language learners, and long-term English language learners addresses the poor academic achievement of these students by focusing on isolated factors and is replete with quantitative studies. This study adds to the body of research through the application of generic qualitative inquiry methods. During the course of a single one-on-one in-depth interview with the researcher, participants revealed a world of reflections, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about the outward experience of schooling from their perspective as a long-term English language learner. A self-selecting sample of eight participants originated from a population of native U.S. born, second-generation, male, long-term English language learners within the research site. Participants ranged in age from 18-22 years and had been enrolled in the English language development program between 6.5 and 12 years. Data were analyzed through the application of theoretical thematic analysis within- and across-educational contexts. Findings were presented as five overarching themes representative of the school experience of participants: denunciation of the identity/label of English language learner; the ascendancy of relationships; racial/ethnic and linguistic social stratification; ELD as the 21st century &ldquo;Mexican&rdquo; school, and school characteristics. Through the analysis and discussion of participants&rsquo; experiences in school, there appears to be an opportunity for psychological and educational practitioners to apply these research findings to improve the educational experiences of Hispanic long-term English language learners as well as all English language learners at all proficiency levels within the public school system.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of state standardized testing English Language Learners are required to participate in as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Although policymakers continue to debate the minutia of the academic accountability for English Language Learners, the over-arching question of test validity has continued to be ignored. Current federal requirements identify participation in state standardized testing of all English Language Learners who have been in country more than one academic year. Data collected for analysis included English Language Learners&rsquo; level of English proficiency, and state standardized testing scores in reading, English language arts, and mathematics. The goal was to determine, using quantitative data, correlations between these variables. The study concludes by highlighting factors to be considered that influence accountability policy at the state and federal level and by making suggestions for future research in the area of assessing English Language Learners for the purpose of increased accuracy for accountability in academic growth and performance.</p><p> Through the use of ex-post-facto data, the results of the study identified three findings. The first finding identified that there is a correlation between ELL students&rsquo; English language proficiency level and performance on state standardized testing in the areas of reading, English language arts, and mathematics. The second finding in the study, using the Washington English Language Proficiency Assessment (WELPA) to identify student English proficiency levels, recognized that there is a threshold between WELPA levels and the ELL students who are passing state standardized tests. The third finding recognized that there was no significant distinction in state standardized testing between the number of reading/English language arts tests and mathematics tests.</p>

<p> The process of reading embodies many factors that affect an ESL student&rsquo;s second language acquisition. This study investigates the present situations of current or former ESL students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and their attitudes toward reading in an ESL classroom. The investigation focuses on reading in a social context and the effects of a background with reading as a child. It examines Saudi ELLs attitudes towards reading in an ESL classroom. The background and motivation towards reading in the United States and KSA are examined. The analysis discovers motivation aspects and current knowledge of Saudi students in ESL. A survey was disseminated to determine Saudi student&rsquo;s experiences with reading in ESL. This study investigates how attitudes and cultural aspects influence ESL reading performance and why it is important when teaching Saudi ESL students. This research is important because it directly affects our students and their future as students out of an ESL classroom. In order to provide the best education for our students, we need to be aware of what current attitudes and background history our students have on reading in English and in an ESL classroom.</p>

<p> English learners typically score below their English o0nly peers on state and national standardized tests, demonstrating that there is a need to explore possibilities as to why this achievement gap is widening. Applying a conceptual framework stemming from the concepts of social and cultural capital from sociologist Bourdieu, this study examines the language as social and cultural capital of English learners at a school site and its influence on student engagement. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry and a semi structured interview protocol to gain insights from teachers, students and district personnel. Although the findings in this study are not generalizable, it suggest language influences a student&rsquo;s ability to be engaged in the classroom through access, relationships, trust, identity, success, and cultural diversity and awareness in this particular school site found in a local Southern California school district. Having a deeper understanding of how language, social and cultural capital influence engagement will assist educators in planning instructional lessons that are academically rigorous and relevant to the student in order to provide access and upward social mobility to English learner students. </p>

<p> This thesis presents findings from an ethnographic study of adult English Language Learners (ELLs) who are support staff employees in a large metropolitan hospital and are taking integrated English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at their work site. This research is rooted in a theoretical framework that intersects studies on discourse (Fairclough, 1995; Gee, 2008), language socialization (Burdelski &amp; Cook, 2012; Flowerdew, 2013; Vickers, 2007), and agency and identity development (Norton, 1997, 2006, 2010; van Lier, 2008) to discuss the experience of adult ELLs who enter an English-dominant healthcare workplace. The teacher-researcher used ethnographic methods to examine: (a) the support staff employee discourse as determined by language and behaviors; (b) the impact of the workplace ESL classes on socializing employees into this discourse; (c) how support staff employees develop agency and second-language identities in their work environment. Data included field notes from work observations of six support staff employees from three departments&mdash;Housekeeping, Food Service, and Patient Care Services&mdash;all of whom participate in the ESL classes, and audio-recorded interviews with these six employees and three support staff supervisors. Relevant literature in the fields of workplace education and language socialization at work is reviewed and discussed. A description of the hospital&rsquo;s support staff discourse is described in the findings, along with areas of language socialization that are developed by participating in workplace ESL classes and how this leads to increased agency and identity development at work. Data analysis exhibits that learning English through an integrated workplace education program provides employees a community of practice in which to develop the language skills and confidence they need to advocate for themselves and others at work. By qualitatively examining how healthcare support staff can be better incorporated into the workplace and develop professionally, this study has implications for training and education programs for a growing immigrant healthcare worker population. </p>

<p> This dissertation seeks to understand college writing-center work between peer tutors and college students&mdash;called <i>peer tutoring</i>. Specifically, this study explores peer tutoring between deaf peer tutors and deaf tutees as they discuss academic writing. Further, this study investigates how deaf peer tutors and deaf tutees who are bilingual users of American Sign Language (ASL) and English use strategies to support the learning of academic writing during a tutorial session in a writing center. My review of the writing-center literature shows that research on the topic of a deaf peer tutor (DPT) and a deaf tutee (DT) as a pair is limited. While the literature on deaf tutees is expanding, the research studies on deaf peer tutors remain little understood. In fact, the literature on the retention rate of deaf college students remains low and persistent (Marschark &amp; Hauser, 2008). I conducted a qualitative case study to explore the DPT-DT interaction in a writing-center setting with a theoretical framework of (1) sociocultural, (2) ASL/English bilingual, and (3) Deaf Critical (DeafCrit) theories. The analytical framework contains an early form of grounded theory analysis and a four-layer discourse analysis, which highlights the micro and macro views of the DPT-DT interaction. One of the three main findings shows that the study participants relied on visual discourse markers, consisting of signed modality and peripheral communication, which clearly supports deaf-student learning of academic writing in English. Another finding reveals that tutors offered many `explaining incidents' compared to the other five means of assistance: giving feedback, questioning, giving hints, modeling, and instructing. Finally, the third finding relates to the participants' lived experiences of audism during their school years where they experienced limited access to learning English incidentally&mdash;a form of oppression. This research effort has the potential to promote writing support for deaf students and writing-center practices for hearing and deaf tutors who are interested in working with deaf students. Further, this research effort has the potential to improve the retention rate for deaf college students and to increase career opportunities for deaf peer tutors in the writing-center field.</p><p> Keywords: Academic writing, writing center, peer tutoring, deaf college students, discourse markers, sociocultural theories, ASL/English bilingual theory, DeafCrit</p><p>

<p> <b>Purpose:</b> The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify and describe effective instructional strategies for English language arts and mathematics perceived by expert fourth and fifth grade elementary teachers in southern California to reduce the achievement gap in high poverty and high English language learner (ELL) elementary schools. </p><p> <b>Methodology:</b> The researcher selected a qualitative research design to describe the instructional strategies used by teachers in three southern California school districts. Through in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended interviews, the researcher provided an examination of the instructional strategies used to address the needs of high poverty and high ELL elementary schools. Teachers were identified from three criteria: (a) teaching at a school with a Latino population of 50% or more, (b) population of 80% or more in poverty, and (c) currently teaching fourth or fifth grade. Data collected using NVivo software to determine patterns and categories. </p><p> <b>Findings:</b> Based on the responses from the study participants, four major findings were established for both Research Questions 1 and 2. </p><p> <b>Conclusions:</b> The major finding from Research Questions 1 and 2 were summarized as four conclusions: (a) collaboration is the number one tool teachers need to prepare students; (b) teachers need training on a collaborative style for teaching small groups, the management, and different teaching strategies and organizational patterns to make small group instruction effective in a large group setting; (c) teachers do not have the technology skills and knowledge necessary to maximize the impact of technology as an instructional tool; and (d) teachers do not have the technology skill and knowledge to maximize the impact of technology as an instructional tool for mathematics or mathematics using manipulatives. </p><p> <b>Recommendations:</b> Six recommendations are: (a) larger sample across the United States focusing on ELLs from different origins; (b) similar study with a teacher of a different origin from the ELLs, (c) similar study of secondary teachers&rsquo; effective instructional strategies, (d) observational study in collaboration to evaluate effectiveness in supporting ELLs, (e) similar study with special education students, and (f) study of English only students comparing differences and similarities between ELLs and effective instructional strategies.</p><p>