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The Latino population of which English Language Learners (ELLs) is a subset, has demonstrated substantial growth in recent years (U.S Census Bureau, 2008), highlighting the need for normative information regarding their language skills. However, requisite to obtaining normative information is determining appropriate norming methods. The principal purpose of the present study was to ascertain appropriate norming procedures for the language variables: Mean Length of Utterance (MLU), Number of Different Words (NDW) and Words Per Minute (WPM) in English and Spanish narratives of Spanish-speaking ELLs. The issues were 1) whether age or grade norms should be used as an index of language development, 2) whether cross-sectional or longitudinal data should be utilized, and 3) whether the inclusion or exclusion of children with missing data or grade repeats affects the language measures. It was hypothesized that due to the syntactic and lexical differences that are present across languages, there would be a different developmental schedule of development for the language variables in the English and Spanish of ELLs. Participants were typically developing kindergarten to second grade Spanish speaking ELLs enrolled in transitional bilingual programs. A total of 605 children comprised the cross-sectional dataset and a total of 679 children were included in the longitudinal dataset. From these initial datasets, additional datasets were created to provide separate age and grade groups (for the cross-sectional and longitudinal datasets) as well as three different longitudinal datasets. Narratives in English and Spanish were elicited from each child using a story retell procedure. Analyses were carried out using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance procedures. Results of both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated that age and grade are comparable indices of time for studying MLU, NDW, and WPM. Results also indicated that longitudinal data is superior to cross-sectional data for examining the language variables and that including or excluding subjects with missing data or grade repeaters does not significantly affect MLU, NDW, and WPM scores. Additionally, results confirm the findings from the research literature that MLU, NDW, and WPM are valid variables for studying narrative development. / Communication Sciences

El enfoque de esta tesis es un proyecto de servicio-aprendizaje en una clase bilingüe de kinder en el área metropolitana de Los Ángeles. Los estudiantes recibieron un temario de educación ambiental por dos horas a la semana durante la primavera de 2008. Un estudio de la educación ambiental y la educación bilingüe da un contexto social y historico a este trabajo práctico. Describe las lecciones y su significado dentro del contexto. Hay recommendaciones a seguir para proyectos similares en el sitio de estudio.

The purpose of this study was to identify the leadership styles of elementary school principals who are implementing a change process at a high level (the district's Master Plan for students with Limited English Proficiency) and to describe their perceptions of bilingual education. This study also examined the relationship between the principals' leadership style and their perceptions of bilingual education. Each of the 10 participants completed the Leadership Behavior Analysis II, a questionnaire on perceptions of bilingual education and was interviewed. All of the principals were identified as having a supportive leadership style and 90% were identified as having a positive perception of bilingual education. The participants tended to be flexible in their use of different leadership styles and were able to utilize appropriate styles for a given situation. The participants with more training and personal experiences with bilingual education tended to have more positive perceptions about the program. The principals with more positive perceptions of bilingual education tended to select the most appropriate styles for a particular situation. All participants had positive perceptions of bilingual education in terms of its effect on students' social and emotional adjustment. The results of the instruments correspond to the research regarding implementing change. The research points to the principal as being a key player in determining the effectiveness of a change effort. Also, the leadership style of the principal is crucial in terms of motivating, encouraging, and supporting staff members involved in change. The supportive behaviors focusing on personal relationships are important characteristics for effective principals. The research emphasizes the importance of providing appropriate programs for students learning English as a second language. The study provided recommendations in terms of the training and hiring of principals and in regards to effectively implementing change in an organization.

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No description available.

Two-way dual language programs are a form of enrichment or additive bilingual education “that target(s) students from two language backgrounds (e.g., Spanish and English) who study the content-areas through both languages in integrated classrooms” (R. Freeman, 2007, p. 5). These programs have been growing rapidly over the last few years (O. Garcia, 2010; Hamman, 2017; Wilson, 2011). A number of scholars have agreed that well-implemented programs of the model are more effective in helping English learners (EL) reach grade-level proficiency in reading by the end of eighth grade than other forms of education (Thomas & Collier, 2012). While there is a growing consensus in the field on the long-term benefits of this type of school for ELs, there is a need for further qualitative research focusing on the pedagogy and curriculum dual language teachers employ to successfully teach reading to their student body. Differentiation, which is an increasingly popular instructional approach (Smit & Humpert, 2012), is a critical piece to teaching reading to a diverse group of students, as is the case in dual language schools. Situated a dual language school in a large urban area on the East Coast, this 5-month qualitative case study aimed to understand how and why four teachers differentiate reading instruction in both Spanish and English through the use of participant observation, teacher interviews, and artifact collection. Findings show that in addition to creating a supportive environment, teachers utilized tools like technology, visuals, translanguaging, and support from paraprofessionals to differentiate reading instruction for language learners. Additionally, while the findings demonstrate many similarities across instruction in both languages, they also reveal a disparity of resources. Lastly, the findings show teachers’ decisions are largely influenced by factors such as their students’ funds of knowledge, their own funds of knowledge, Cummins’ (1979) theory of interdependence, time, technology, and school district requirements. / Literacy & Learners

Bilingualism and multilingualism are phenomena dominantly present in today’s globalized world. Sweden is not an exception and its international character is apparent in all domains, such as politics, business and education. English is perceived more as a second language rather a foreign one, taking into consideration the numerous bilingual and international schools of the country that promote the acquisition of Swedish and English from an early age. Teaching in bilingual classrooms may cause challenges due to students’ different linguistic abilities and background and thus, teachers are responsible to maintain a balance between both languages. The particular study has a two-fold aim; at first place, it analyzes theories of bilingualism that are directly related to pedagogical and teaching practices as well as the relation between bilingualism and brain functions. The purpose is to identify how these theories are reflected into everyday classrooms through teachers’ methods. The second part of the research is the examination of the contextual background of Sweden in terms of linguistic hierarchy, the aims of society to bilingual education and laws regarding languages and teacher training. The purpose is to outline the extent to which this background is applied into actual contexts. Therefore, the third part is the empirical study that is a comparative case-study through a qualitative approach into two bilingual schools in Sweden. The central focus is on teachers’ opinions about challenges, teaching methods and personal reflections and the identification of differences and similarities. The critical analysis of the three main parts enables the researcher to reach conclusions where certain points and issues are outlined along with possible solutions. The goal of the study is not the generalization of data but a focus on individuals and reflection of real situations that sets the basis for research in larger scales.

<p> In this multiple case study design, high-performing Chinese language immersion students were investigated to better understand their profiles. This study focused on their attitudes, motivations, support systems, strategies for learning, and their social environment and how it related to them. I investigated three cases of high-performing Chinese language immersion students in a suburban school district in the Midwestern United States participating in a one-way Chinese (Mandarin) language immersion program. I utilized document analysis, solicited diaries, semi-structured participant interviews, parent interviews, Chinese immersion teacher pre-interview questionnaires, and Chinese immersion teacher interviews as data collection instruments. After analyzing the data, I wrote a case report for each of these cases and completed a cross-case synthesis to identify what was universal, variant, and divergent amongst the profiles of these high-performing individuals.</p>

Bilingualism and multilingualism are phenomena dominantly present in today’s globalized world. Sweden is not an exception and its international character is apparent in all domains, such as politics, business and education. English is perceived more as a second language rather a foreign one, taking into consideration the numerous bilingual and international schools of the country that promote the acquisition of Swedish and English from an early age. Teaching in bilingual classrooms may cause challenges due to students’ different linguistic abilities and background and thus, teachers are responsible to maintain a balance between both languages. The particular study has a two-fold aim; at first place, it analyzes theories of bilingualism that are directly related to pedagogical and teaching practices as well as the relation between bilingualism and brain functions. The purpose is to identify how these theories are reflected into everyday classrooms through teachers’ methods. The second part of the research is the examination of the contextual background of Sweden in terms of linguistic hierarchy, the aims of society to bilingual education and laws regarding languages and teacher training. The purpose is to outline the extent to which this background is applied into actual contexts. Therefore, the third part is the empirical study that is a comparative case-study through a qualitative approach into two bilingual schools in Sweden. The central focus is on teachers’ opinions about challenges, teaching methods and personal reflections and the identification of differences and similarities. The critical analysis of the three main parts enables the researcher to reach conclusions where certain points and issues are outlined along with possible solutions. The goal of the study is not the generalization of data but a focus on individuals and reflection of real situations that sets the basis for research in larger scales.