People have need for different aid supporting them when learning a foreign language and most of us benefit from the use of more than one aid. Teachers offer a variety of techniques when teaching English, to ensure that as many pupils as possible are able to assimilate English education. Digitalization and research have brought the use of visual aid in English education to increase over the years. The aim of this study is to explore lower primary school teachers’ experiences of using visual aid in the English classroom in order to discuss which possible effects visual aid can have for pupils’ language competence.  In primary school year 1-3. The study is a qualitative study in the form of semi structured interviews with seven primary school teachers in the south of Sweden. The interviews provided an insight into the participants' individual actions, opinions and experiences on visual aid in English education. The results from this research confirm a generous use of visual aid, such as pictures, images, body language, film and drama among the teachers in this study. All seven participants experience increased engagement in classroom activities and refer this specifically to the use of visual aid. The teachers use visual aid to enhance and clarify content, to ensure acquirement of English vocabulary and to create a varied and diverse education and they consider the use of visual aid in English education to increase pupils’ language learning. The main purpose is to ensure that as many pupils as possible acquire English communication skills. It appears that the teachers in this study regard the benefits to exceed the challenges. One benefit is a motivating and interesting education with a high level of pupil activity in which pupils’ ability to succeed in English education increases. A challenge is to offer necessary aid to beginners and motivate pupils with highly developed English skills to acquire further knowledge in the same education. In further research it would be interesting to explore pupils’ view on the use of and benefits and challenges from visual aid in English education.         Keywords: English education, Foreign language learning, Primary school, Young language learners, Visual aid, Pictures, Drama, Film.

The United States is home to hundreds of thousands of refugees and immigrants who desire to learn English. In contrast to academically-focused English language learners (ELLs), or international students, refugee and immigrant ELLs are often dealing with the stresses of poverty and/or a precarious immigration status, giving them a diverse and complex set of needs that are often not adequately met by ESL programs. Building off a foundation of Activity Theory, Sociocultural Theory, and Language Ecology, which emphasizes an approach to language learning and teaching that does not separate language from the authentic contexts from which it arises (Van Lier, 2002; Leather & Van Dam, 2003; Pennycook, 2010; Swain & Watanabe, 2012; among others), I seek to uncover and address these needs in-context through an ethnography of six Spanish-speaking immigrant ELLs in the western United States. I detail the results of an in-depth analysis of 116 hours of participant observation with these women, paying special attention to their daily routines and how, where, and why they employ English or Spanish. I show how the women's daily routines and participation in Latinx communities curtail much of their need for daily English, how they employ various strategies to get by when they do need English, and how their expressed motivations to learn English are often thwarted by their current life circumstances. I end by summarizing key observations about the ELLs in the study and making general recommendations to ESL programs for how to apply these observations.

The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate how upper secondary school teachers in Sweden identify and, if they do, support gifted students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from seven upper secondary school English teachers in Sweden. The results show that the teachers are able to identify gifted students after they perform certain tests or tasks. All teachers state that it is important to give gifted students the necessary help and attention they need. The methods that were used to support the gifted students were to have flexible assignments that could be adjusted to the individuals’ needs or to provide the gifted students with extra assignments. The teachers state that they find it difficult to meet the needs of the gifted students due to lack of time and because the needs of struggling students are prioritized by the system. In conclusion, the teachers agree that education should be adjusted to all of the students’ different needs, including the ones of the gifted students. It has been reported by the participating teachers that they try to achieve this, yet they are concerned with the availability of their resources and time.

Despite language differences, English Language Learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools are assessed by the same standardized tests of English Language Arts (ELA) skills as are their English-speaking peers. ELLs have routinely performed poorly on the New York State ELA standardized assessment. ELLs are a significant portion of the population in New York City public schools; therefore, their continued poor performance puts some of these schools at risk for closure. Guided by Thomas's and Collier's framework for understanding Dual Language Immersion programs, the purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental, archival study was to determine if significant differences in ELA standardized assessment scores exist for ELLs attending an English as a New Language (ENL) program when compared to those attending a Dual Language (DL) program. A mixed-model ANOVA (N = 24 ELLs tested in 2014, 2015, and 2016) indicated that scores increased significantly during the 3-year period, but there were no significant differences in scores for the ENL program students compared to the DL program students. An ANCOVA (N = 366 ELLs tested in 2016 evenly distributed in each program) showed that, when controlling student disability status, DL program students scored significantly higher than ENL program students. These findings formed the basis of a professional development curriculum designed to guide educators and administrators in the implementation of effective DL programs and teaching strategies to support ELLs' achievement. When supported with research-based programs in their schools, ELLs can achieve more academically, thereby fostering social change over time as more ELLs enter the workforce uniquely qualified to succeed in a diverse, global economy.

Historically, identifying solutions to the achievement gap between Black and White students has plagued education. Twenty-first century challenges have emerged to include an achievement gap between Black and Hispanic students in literacy as early as 4th grade. Limited research exists on the use of English language learner (ELL) instructional strategies with Black standard English learners (SELs). This project study narrows the gap in previous research. The goal was to use a collective case study approach to investigate the professional development needs of the Northeast School District through the perspective of 5 Title I, ELL, kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary school principals. Social constructivism guided the theoretical framework. The research questions focused on principals' perceptions of the effect of ELL strategies on Hispanic ELL literacy rates and the benefits of systemic professional development on using ELL strategies for Black SELs. Data were collected from the principals through a focus group discussion and 5 semi-structured interviews. The data were then transcribed and coded to establish themes, based on the participants' perceptions. The major themes centered on the need for teachers to understand and incorporate their student culture in lessons through cultural proficiency; the instructional benefits for Black SELs in ELL classrooms; and the importance of consistent, applicable, systemic professional development. School districts may use these findings results to make decisions on systemic professional development for elementary school administrators and teachers, with positive results for Black SEL proficiency in literacy.

Spanish speaking English language learning (ELL) students in U.S. public schools are among those most likely to drop out of high school. However, there is a research gap concerning Spanish speaking ELL student success and their experiences in transitioning from supported English as a second language (ESL) classes into mainstream, general education classes in high school. Guided by the framework of transitional bilingual education, the purpose of this study was to present the phenomenological experiences of former ESL students as they transitioned from ESL to English-only classes. Participants included 7 adults who transitioned from Spanish speaking ESL during their high school years and were now enrolled in a local community college. Adult participants were chosen to decrease barriers to participation due to age, clarify perspectives since having completed high school, and reduce negative effects related to power differentials when they were still enrolled as high school students. Each participated in a semistructured interview about daily experiences in the high school ESL program. Using Giorgi's 7-step approach to data analysis, deductive coding was used to identify themes: (a) daily experiences with ESL and mainstream classes, (b) understanding of the ESL classes and transition to mainstream, (c) opinions concerning elements of the programs that hurt or helped their education, and (d) suggestions for ways to improve the programs for future students. More qualitative research with a broader range of students is recommended for future study. Positive social change implications include informing current practitioners and future researchers with the aim of facilitating increased perceived and actual school success, reduced dropout rates, and increased graduation rates for Spanish speaking ELL students.

A majority of students at the local University College of Science and Education (UCSE, pseudonym) in Jamaica do not have the conceptual understanding of mathematical principles to function in a competitive and highly globalized marketplace. In 2013 and 2014, 88% and 92% of freshmen education students scored at the lowest 2 levels on the Mathematics Diagnostic Test (MDT). The instructional language at UCSE is Standard English (SE) whereas most students speak Jamaican dialect (JD). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect that the language of instruction has on student achievement in math as measured by the MDT. Guided by Vygotsky's social development theory, the research questions focused on comparing MDT change scores between students who were taught using JD and those using SE as the instructional language. The quasi-experimental design used ex post facto data including pretest and posttest MDT scores from 40 freshmen of whom 20 were instructed in JD and 20 in SE. The results of an independent sample t test showed that the difference in the MDT change score was significant. The JD students had a higher improvement score. Consequently, it is recommended that math instructors use JD to instruct freshmen education students whose native language is JD. A professional development session for math teachers was created that demonstrates how to teach in JD while simultaneously scaffolding the instruction in a way that students can learn SE and be prepared for the following year at UCSE. If students understand the math concepts in their freshman year, they are more likely to continue their college education and to become productive members of Jamaica's economy which is dependent on employees that are proficient in math.

This dissertation examines the methods and techniques used by school administrators to bring in and keep parents of English Language Learners coming back to be part of the school. Administrators at twelve schools in the Southeastern central San Joaquin Valley in California were interviewed to determine what practices they utilized to make ELL parents part of the education experience. A series of questions were asked of each participant and their answers grouped into four categories to determine the common methods and techniques used by the sample. Once similar traits were established a comparison between the literature review and the findings was conducted to assert validity with established practices. This study found that the effective administrators used some aspects of the model Comer and other effective strategies they found to be effective in educating the ELL population. This study found that administrators in schools with large percentages of English Language Learners used techniques suggested in the literature review. Furthermore, the study recommends other areas that will be useful to increase parent participation in all schools.

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