bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Observational Practicum: A Stepping-Stone to Praxis in TESOL
Authors: Ihara Ayaka
Published: October 2024

While a practicum is usually regarded as a place to practice teaching, or as a place to turn what one has learned in the classroom into real practice, an observational practicum can also substantially further one’s professional growth. Indeed, an observational practicum can be an ideal site for novice ESOL practitioners to develop the groundwork of praxis, which requires reflection and action in teaching to provide students with meaningful L2 learning. Drawing from scholastic literature in TESOL and her own observational practicum experience, the author advocates conducting an observational practicum as a means to practice seeing teaching before intensively doing teaching.
English Language Learners in a Digital Classroom
Authors: Prince Johanna
Published: October 2024

English language learners (ELLs) experience linguistic, cultural, and cognitive shifts that can be challenging and at times lead to isolation for ELLs. While education technology may be an instructional resource and engage learners, devices alone do not shift instructional practices or lead to student gains. This case study was performed at an international school in Europe to investigate the experiences of 4th-grade ELL students and their teaching in a 1-to-1 iPad device classroom. Three main findings emerged from the study: iPads have specific functionalities that can be used to support ELL students; ELL students were engaged with using the iPads in content lessons; and study participants, including teachers and students, perceived language and cognitive growth in ELL students when using the iPad. However, there were also challenges found in the study. To mitigate some of these challenges and build on the success of this study, the researcher suggests developing a common vision for technology integration, using collaborative models of ELL teaching and investing in professional development.
Imperialist Desires in English-Only Language Policy
Authors: Macedo Donaldo
Published: October 2024

This article tackles the questions around the efficacy of the English language in educational contexts.The author argues that the answer to these questions has nothing to do with whether English is a more viable language of instruction or whether it promises non-English–speaking students full participation both in school and the society at large. This position, in the author’s view, would point to an assumption that English is, in fact, a superior language and that we live in a classless, race-blind society. He proposes, instead, that the attempt to institute proper and effective methods of educating non-English–speaking students rests on a full understanding of the ideological elements that generate and sustain linguistic, cultural, and racial discrimination, which represent vestiges of a colonial legacy in our democracy
Addressing the Needs of 21st-Century Teachers Working With Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners
Authors: Hadjioannou Xenia , Hutchinson Mary C. , Hockman Marisa
Published: October 2024

Preparing mainstream classroom teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners is a growing concern in education as more and more schools host increasing numbers of students whose primary language is not English. Unfortunately, significant numbers of teachers have had little preparation for working with these diverse learners and feel ill equipped to support their academic development. This mixed-methods case study explores the longitudinal impact of a professional-development program designed to increase teachers’ knowledge of second language acquisition and of appropriate instructional practices for supporting English language learners (ELLs). Findings suggest that participation in the program had a positive effect on participants’ knowledge of language and literacy acquisition, their ability to plan and manage instruction for ELLs, their understanding of appropriate assessment for ELLs, and their classroom practice. A year later, though focal participants claimed maintenance, these effects were only marginally present in their classroom practice.
Equalizing Educational Opportunity: In Defense of Bilingual Education—A California Perspective
Authors: Wang Hao
Published: October 2024

Under critical examination, the English language and its use in daily interactions carry with them symbolic values in our social world, including social mobility, educational achievement, and employment. Its representations in government bodies, mass media, education, and legal documents have further increased those values and subtly created a hostile environment for many US immigrants who are nonnative English speakers. In the bilingual education debate, this view of nativism and monolingualism has received support from critics who believe that bilingual education serves only to disembody national unity and cohesion. As a result of the English-only view, a number of bilingual education programs are curtailed in the states of California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. In this article, I adopt the theoretical framework of equal educational opportunity (EEO) to examine bilingual education conceived by the California Education for a Global Economy Initiative. In the discussion section, I also propose a bilingual education plan that could better reflect language-positive liberalism and a participatory educational ideal.
Educational Resilience of an Undocumented Immigrant Student: Educators as Bridge Makers
Authors: Borjian Ali
Published: October 2024

Despite facing multiple challenges in obtaining a college degree, some immigrant students successfully navigate the US educational system. Learning about their experiences in our schools can help us identify and implement specific practices and policies that make schooling more rewarding for a large student population. The journey of a Guatemalan immigrant from elementary school to a 4-year university is described in this article. The obstacles she faced throughout are presented and ways in which hurdles were overcome are explained. Educators from kindergarten teachers to university professors are encouraged to learn about the context in which students emigrate to the US and the multitude of out-ofschool factors that influence their educational achievement.
"You Learn Best When You’re in There”: ESOL Teacher Learning in the Practicum
Authors: Yazan Bedrettin
Published: October 2024

This study relied on sociocultural understanding of teacher learning, which highlights how teacher candidates construct their own learning and adjust or extend their instructional values, priorities, and beliefs within their teaching contexts (Johnson, 2009). It used activity theory as a conceptual framework (Engeström, 1999) and explored how teaching practicum experiences contributed to 5 ESOL teacher candidates’ learning in a 13-month intensive MA TESOL program. Findings from the study illustrate that the teaching practicum made significant contributions to ESOL teacher candidates’ learning to teach in the program. Through the teaching practicum, teacher candidates (a) learned how to navigate in the school context, (b) learned about the nature of establishing relationships with the other members of the teaching community, (c) used the mediating artifacts with the support of mentors and supervisors, (d) found opportunities for constructing a mutually informative and dialogical relationship between theory and practice, and (e) gained closer understanding of ELLs.
Mentor Texts Squared: Helping Students Explore Voice Through Readings That Promote Critical Consciousness
Authors: Molina Sarina Chugani , Manasse Mark
Published: October 2024

Much research has been conducted documenting the reading and writing challenges students in precollege courses face (Crosby, 2007; Masterson, 2007). Some colleges label these courses “developmental,” “remedial,” or “basic skills” courses. These “developmental” students comprise both US-born and immigrant pupils from culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse backgrounds (Roberge, Siegal, & Harklau, 2009) and are often institutionally marginalized (Blumenthal, 2002), leaving them often underprepared when matriculating into credit-bearing collegelevel courses (Roberge, 2009). In this article, we report on a case study where a community college ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) instructor and three faculty members at a local university worked collaboratively on developing resources to support his struggling readers through leveled, culturally responsive texts. We share a unique approach to mentor texts, employing them both as exemplars for developing reading and writing skills, and also as a means to support avenues for finding “voice.”
Fostering Academic Vocabulary Use in Writing
Authors: Brun-Mercer Nicole , Zimmerman Cheryl Boyd
Published: October 2024

Though research has established a relationship between vocabulary knowledge and academic success and identified features to guide the L2 word learner through academic tasks (see Nation, 2013), less is known regarding student perceptions of academic vocabulary and the conscious decision-making process of these learners while they are writing. In this pilot case study, 9 advanced students at an Intensive English Program in California wrote an essay, completed a survey on vocabulary strategy use, and participated in an interview to illuminate lexical choices they had made in their compositions. The insights gleaned from these data were then analyzed for patterns, and 10 classroom applications were devised to help L2 academic writing teachers address the vocabulary needs of their students.
Using Theater Concepts in the TESOL Classroom
Authors: Badie Gina Tiffany
Published: October 2024

This article discusses practical ways to incorporate theater concepts into the ESL classroom. The notion of a theater ensemble lends itself well to group work in language learning. I have used my experience auditioning, participating in theater games, and improv techniques to encourage second language learning through public speaking, group collaboration, and giving students the power to speak.
Toward a Three-Step Pedagogy for Fostering Self-Assessment in a Second Language Writing Classroom
Authors: Liang John
Published: October 2024

This article describes a three-step pedagogy aimed at developing college ESL students’ ability to assess and evaluate their own writing through intentional learner training. The three pedagogical steps are teacher modeling, guided peer assessment, and independent self-assessment. To illustrate, a set of scaffolded instructional procedures are delineated and demonstrated. The article then concludes with an argument that with intentional teacher modeling as well as consistent guided learner practice, college ESL student writers are capable of monitoring, assessing, and evaluating their own learning progress competently, confidently, and systematically.
Adult ESL Education in the US
Authors: Eyring Janet L.
Published: October 2024

This article discusses the state of the art in the field of “adult ESL” in the US. It identifies the size, characteristics, and settings of adult education and discusses relevant professional standards, assessment procedures, and teacher preparation. Three approaches to noncredit adult ESL education will be presented (Functional Literacy, Critical Literacy, and New Literacy Studies), each of which has relevance to current status and funding of adult ESL within the Department of Education. A broader view of curriculum design and expansion of technological applications are recommended to address the growing needs of immigrants from Latin America and around the world.
Enriching Students’ Linguistic Repertoires Through Text-Based Guided Output Tasks
Authors: Koval Natalie G.
Published: October 2024

L2 input, such as a reading text, constitutes a rich source of information on how meanings are expressed in the L2. Helping learners to use this information effectively should be one of the main goals of L2 teaching. In this article, I propose text-based guided output (TBGO) as a technique for “pushing” learners to make better use of the learning opportunities that L2 text has to offer. I make a case for the integration of TBGO into text-based ESL lessons for adults and conclude by discussing important features of design and my own experience with this type of task in teaching a group of upper-intermediate–advanced university students during 1 semester.
Reconfiguring the Theory-to-Practice Narrative
Authors: Schulte Julia
Published: October 2024

Many teacher-development models posit teacher learning as a linear process in which teachers build skills and knowledge while progressing through different stages of expertise. Although this model is attractive for many reasons and often does seem to shed light on some of the aspects of teacher development, this author’s own experience largely does not conform to this linear trajectory. In this article, the author describes changes in several aspects of her practice during the course of her 1st year as an ESL teacher at an Intensive English Program (IEP). She situates developments of specific skills, attitudes, and beliefs about teaching within her continually shifting understanding of the interplay between theory and practice.
ESL Student Identity and the Multigenre Research Project
Authors: Sartor Valerie , Hill Bart
Published: October 2024

This article proposes to incorporate Freirean philosophy with a technique used in academic (monolingual) English courses: the multigenre research paper. When applying this technique in the ESL classroom, it is crucial to also use global and international texts of various genres in order to support students’ cultural identities and also instill a sense of social justice. The theoretical framework is based upon Freire’s ideas, with an overview of how the theory is implemented using the multigenre research project format in an advanced-level ESL Reading class. Results indicated that this method syncs with theory and that this format motivated students to read widely, validated their sense of self, and encouraged both independent and collaborative work in and out of class.
A Second Look at Mobile Technology in the Classrooms: Don’t Ban It. Use It!
Authors: Decker James Brandon
Published: October 2024

The misuse of smartphones in class frequently exasperates teachers. Instead of seeing this mobile technology as a nuisance, teachers can use it to their advantage. Smartphones can maximize collaboration, improve assessment, expand routine vocabulary lessons, augment out-of-class activities, and add multimedia tools to lessons, all while using technology that is both familiar and enjoyable to the students. The article highlights 3 free cross-platform software applications (apps)— Socrative, Edmodo, and Blogger. Each app is rated according to the following features: appearance, daily setup, ease of use, educational benefits, quiz format and grading, registration, speed, teacher control, tips/help, and user options. Evaluations, sample lesson activities, and walk-throughs are also included to emphasize each app’s strengths.
A Case for Adult Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
Authors: Van Booven Christopher D.
Published: October 2024

The present study investigates 2-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) as a potentially viable pedagogical model for adult language learners. A review of the literature on TWBI at the K-6 level is provided, followed by an examination of key issues in adult second and foreign language education. Implications for potential adult TWBI programs are discussed along with recommendations for further investigation. Finally, the author presents an exploratory study of a nonformal, communitybased adult TWBI program in Los Angeles known as I HABLO U. The results of this study suggest that while adult TWBI shares many of the learner and administrative challenges documented in K-6 TWBI programs, adult learners in TWBI programs contend with a unique set of problems and also enjoy a number of advantages that K-6 learners may not experience. The author concludes that scholars must widen the focus of current research and evaluative efforts of TWBI to consider adult learners.
Reimagining TESOL Professionalism: The Graduate Student Perspective
Authors: Lorimer Christina , Schulte Julia
Published: October 2024

Prospective teachers pursue a graduate degree in TESOL with the expectation that they will become more qualified, on paper and in practice, and more recognized as professionals in the field. In this article, the authors interrogate that assumption by exploring what it means to be a TESOL professional and how graduate students begin to shape this identity. Using their own professional-development paths and input from other graduate students to guide their investigation, the authors make the claim that when graduate students take advantage of professional-development opportunities in a structured and reflective way, they professionalize themselves and the TESOL field at large.
Professional Development Through Community Partnership: How a Class Project Led to Graduate Student Teaching Practices
Authors: Laidemitt Heidi , Kelley Caroline , DeMola Sarah , Martin Jaymee
Published: October 2024

This article is written from the perspective of 4 current MA TESOL graduate students at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS). These students have written about their experiences by incorporating their theoretical and pedagogical English language-teaching knowledge into the growth and maintenance of a community-based ESL program at the Peace Resource Center in Seaside, California. The article highlights the continual development of their original peace and social justice–themed curriculum, which involves graduate students in Linguistics, Education, and non-TESOL courses at MIIS. The writers respectively reflect upon professional growth as a result of their commitment to the ESL program. In addition, their appendices and details of their work may serve as resources and tools for the TESOL community interested in curriculum development, needs assessment, community-based language instruction, language-program administration, ESL critical pedagogy, and content-based instruction.
Professional Development Through Graduate Study: Using Academic Research to Inform Professional Practices
Authors: Gonzalves Lisa
Published: October 2024

In this article, the author discusses how learning to effectively conduct, analyze, and present research has had an impact on her academic success, her ongoing development as an ESL teacher, and her proposals and protocols as the ESL department coordinator at an adult school in the Bay Area. The author triangulates these 3 areas of impact to demonstrate how the ability to employ research as a tool has provided her more knowledge and authority as a teacher and administrator.
"Little by Little:” Classroom Practices That Can Silence Latino Kindergartners
Authors: Quach Kolano Lan H. , Lewis Elizabeth R. , Kissau Scott
Published: October 2024

This study explored the role of school in promoting positive bicultural and bilingual identities through the encouragement of Spanish use in 7 Latino children in 1 kindergarten classroom in North Carolina. Using a case study approach, researchers collected data through participant observations and interviews to examine the classroom practices of teachers with self-reported positive attitudes toward the use of Spanish by their students in this school. The results from the data revealed that there was a disconnect between what teachers espoused about heritage-language retention and the actual practices used to encourage native language use. While teachers openly stated in interviews that it was important for the Latino students to continue to speak and use their native language, the culture of the classroom and common practices used in this classroom failed to provide these Latino students with meaningful interactions with one another or their native English-speaking peers. In fact, mandates for silence and the separation of students in the kindergarten classroom resulted in very little use of language, whether in Spanish or in English. Implications for educators are discussed.
Written Feedback, Student Writing, and Institutional Policies: Implications for Novice Teacher Development
Authors: Feuerherm Emily
Published: October 2024

This study analyzes the methods that teachers employ in written feedback to student writing and how the policies of the program and the teachers’ embodied histories influence the strategies used. Data were gathered from 2 novice teachers as they taught their first graduate-level ESL writing course and consist of the teachers’ feedback in addition to interviews and personal narratives. Participants were educated in the same MA TESOL program and taught the same course; however, striking similarities and differences in their written feedback indicate identity and personal history are as important as program policies in determining the methods and content of the feedback. Implications for novice teacher development are that reflective teaching should include reflections on both beliefs and classroom practices to identify misalignments between the two.
A Language-Related Comparison of Generation 1.5 and L1 Student Writing
Authors: Doolan Stephen M.
Published: October 2024

“Generation 1.5” is a term being used to describe a type of second language (L2) long-term U.S. resident who may demonstrate persistent language-related challenges (Roberge, Siegel, & Harklau, 2009). Among the difficulties commonly noted with Generation 1.5 students are problems in controlling the academic register expected in university writing tasks. Because of the growth of this population in U.S. schools, tertiary instructors need a better sense of whether patterns of language and literacy challenges are present in the writing of Generation 1.5 students. The goal of this exploratory study was to analyze linguistic/textual features of students’ writing. Specifically, this study was designed to determine whether 25 languagerelated measures of Generation 1.5 student writing would distinguish their texts from those of L1 classmates of similar writing proficiency. Results indicate similar patterns of textual features between groups. Implications are discussed in relation to the prevalent claims of Generation 1.5 writing.
Examining Rubrics Used to Measure Writing Performance in U.S. Intensive English Programs
Authors: Becker Anthony
Published: October 2024

A scoring rubric acts as a useful guide for evaluating the quality of students’ written responses. In second language writing, scoring rubrics can be used to measure a variety of discourse and linguistic features. However, certain advantages and disadvantages are associated with particular rubrics (see Hamp-Lyons, 2003; Weigle, 2002). Therefore, numerous factors (e.g., purpose or resources) need to be considered when deciding which type of scoring rubric to use. This study describes the types and features of scoring rubrics that are used to measure English as a second language (ESL) students’ writing in Intensive English Programs (IEPs) at multiple universities throughout the US. Forty-three IEP directors completed a questionnaire and interview that addressed the relevance/role of writing in their programs and the types/features of rubrics they use. The findings highlight some of the decision-making behaviors of IEP directors in their choices of scoring rubrics.
Examining the Role of the Library in Promoting the Academic Achievement of English Learners
Authors: de Souza Marcela
Published: October 2024

The purpose of this article is to share findings from a qualitative study showing the positive influences the local public library and the school library had on the personal and academic lives of 18 low-income English language learners of Mexican descent while they were adjusting to the numerous demands of school in the US. For these students, the library represented a resource and a safe haven, a direct link to the academic world they knew little about and a strong connection with librarians who not only supported them with reading materials and guidance for homework assignments, but who also encouraged them to pursue their formal education against all odds. These particular findings are consistent with evidence from related research in the last 3 decades pointing to the vital roles played by well-stocked and properly staffed libraries in the lives of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially English learners.
Adult Student Motivation for Advanced ESL Learning: A Group Case Study
Authors: Igoudin A. Lane
Published: October 2024

In recent years, TESOL has called for the study of the social and cognitive factors that affect adult English learners’ participation in formal language learning. This research project investigated the motivational processes of 10 adult immigrant English learners that led them to take an advanced community college ESL course. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative strategies, the study found that the surveyed group of ESL students chose to engage in advanced language learning in order to, first and foremost, join the dominant language culture and community. Instrumental reasons, though quite important to these students, appeared to be outweighed by the integrative ones. The student’s social identity proved to be an important factor in this process as student motivation often originated in the disjuncture between the learner’s current and desired identities. Furthermore, students viewed language education as a necessary transitional path toward integration and attainment of a desired identity
A Teacher-Development Program for Mexican English Teachers: Factors Related to Success
Authors: Griffith W. I. , Lim Hye-Yeon
Published: October 2024

This article examines a 1-month US-based teacher training/development program for Mexican teachers of English. Three sets of survey data were collected from 20 teachers—on the first day of the program, the last day of the program, and 6 weeks after the teachers returned to their classrooms. Feedback and assessments from program trainers were also examined. The data suggest that there were important changes in teachers’ attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors during the course of the 1-month program and that these changes persisted some weeks after the end of the program. The authors conclude by discussing features necessary for effective development programs. These include assessing the needs of the teachers and their schools’ expectations, providing practice opportunities for teaching, and including a language component for the teachers.
Ten Questions for Guiding a Discourse-Based Grammar Syllabus
Authors: Bland Susan Kesner
Published: October 2024

Discourse-based research has provided grammar teachers with a great many new and interesting insights into the meaning and use of target structures, thus presenting new challenges regarding how to include this information in a grammar syllabus. Based on an analysis of discourse patterns and recurrent themes from research in the areas of discourse-based grammar instruction, corpus linguistics, and English for Academic Purposes (EAP), this paper proposes guidelines in the form of 10 questions for helping teachers systematically incorporate discourse information into the teaching of all structures in a grammar syllabus. The paper demonstrates how to use the guidelines for providing concrete examples of how and where grammatical structures are used in discourse, and it concludes with a discussion of implications for teaching writing at advanced levels of grammar instruction, with suggestions for using the guidelines at beginner and intermediate levels as well.
Literature and Current Events: A Theme-Based Approach to Teaching Reading, Writing, and Critical-Thinking Skills to Nonnative Speakers of English
Authors: Hiruma Rosemary , Jonckheere Barbara
Published: October 2024

To improve reading fluency and comprehension and to acquire vocabulary, ESL students must be exposed to a wide variety of readings, particularly continuous text. Recently, there has been renewed interest in literature as a valuable tool in teaching English as a Second Language. Therefore, as a supplemental reading assignment, two instructors of advanced-level students in an Intensive English Program (IEP) collaborated on a theme-based approach to teaching reading, writing, and critical thinking using The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle and a news survey of relevant articles. The choice of this particular novel proved timely because of its connection to current events and the abundance of media reports and political debates regarding illegal immigration and the rights of undocumented immigrants. Students explored issues related to immigration, racism, and social justice. This thematic approach helped the students develop reading fluency and comprehension and improve their vocabulary and critical-thinking skills.
Weaving Service-Learning Into the Curriculum
Authors: Levesque Ronald
Published: October 2024

This article recounts the 8-year (1997-2005) history of the Service- Learning Program at San Jose City College, with a particular focus on the key involvement of the ESL Program in the dramatic growth of service-learning there. The author, who has coordinated the program from its inception, and who also teaches ESL, examines various aspects of integrating service-learning into the ESL curriculum, reports on student learning experiences at their preferred sites, and analyzes results of a longitudinal report on student evaluations and on learning outcomes. The Service-Learning Program at San Jose City College may be a model for how effective service-learning can be at enhancing the learning of ESL students and at helping them become involved members of their communities.
Service-Learning Helps ELLs in Elementary Schools
Authors: Purmensky Kerry
Published: October 2024

In a service-learning project designed for preservice teachers of an undergraduate linguistics course, survey results determined that the service-learning component of the course transformed student thinking about teaching in the public school classroom, working with English language learners (ELLs), and interacting with students of other cultures and languages. Students reported a great difference in understanding the applicability of the material being studied, and they were much more satisfied with the course based on their real-world experience. In turn, public schools that partnered in the service-learning project reported that the elementary students who participated in the project showed greater attendance, more enthusiasm for schoolwork, greater oral participation in class, and increased reading ability. This service-learning project was designed to not only benefit the preservice teachers at the university and the elementary ELLs they worked with but to create a future school system that has better-prepared teachers for the benefit of the entire community
A Comparative Analysis of American and Russian ESL/EFL Classroom
Authors: Malko Victoria A.
Published: October 2024

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine the influence of culture on classroom participation patterns. Methodologically, this study involved participant observations and interviews with the Russian-speaking students and their American ESL instructors in three types of postsecondary institutions in California. The results revealed areas of mismatch between the students’ learning behavior and the instructors’ methodologies. The cultural differences in the language classrooms were analyzed within the critical theory framework, which takes into account the social and cultural antecedents of the studied situation. Teachers and administrators of language programs will be provided with recommendations on how to improve methods of teaching English as a second or foreign language.
Silenced Voices Speak: Queer ESL Students Recount Their Experiences
Authors: Kappra Rick , Vandrick Stephanie
Published: October 2024

While some attention has been paid recently to LGBT/queer issues in ESL, voices of queer ESL students have rarely been recorded. This article describes a study in which 10 such students were interviewed, and it focuses on the voices of 3 students from the San Francisco Bay Area, because although there are so many lesbians and gays in the area, these interviews contradicted our expectation that the liberal, gayfriendly San Francisco Bay Area would provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for queer ESL students. The study is set in the context of queer theory, identity theory, and critical pedagogy. We conclude with pedagogical implications for ESL classes and the larger institutions housing them, as well as with implications for the TESOL profession.
Developing Business ESP Courses
Authors: Trinh Rebekah Ranew , Hawkins Melissa Williamson
Published: October 2024

In today’s current climate of international business expansion, traditional language institutes frequently have the opportunity to serve a growing language-learner population: nonnative English speakers working in local international companies. In this paper, we examine a university-based English language program’s experience in providing business English courses for one company, from initially assessing its need for English language training to evaluating the courses after completion. The courses were a success overall, meeting the primary expressed needs of a group of the company’s English language learners. However, designing the courses also presented a series of challenges. Through the process, we achieved success in teaching and also learned a great deal about providing workplace English language training, including working within the parameters of individual corporate situations and designing courses for specific business English needs.
Preferences, Styles, Behavior: The Composing Processes of Four ESL Students
Authors: Chen Karen
Published: October 2024

The present study explored patterns and individual differences in the composing processes of a group of ESL students in an academic setting. Research questions included the following: • Do students demonstrate significant individual differences in the composing process? • Do some students at this level have a personal composing style? If so, when was it defined and how strong/rigid is it? • How do students who have their own style manage their composing process in light of course-designated composing guidelines? Participants were students in an ESL basic composition class. A preliminary wholeclass survey was followed by interviews with a small sample of students who reported on their composing process from “zero” through the first draft. Responses showed similarities and differences in the composing process; however, differences were significant enough to be considered individualized. Thus, a one-size-fits-all approach may not serve students best in ESL composition. Implications for teaching are discussed.
Assumptions in Assessment: The Role of the Teacher in Evaluating ESL Students
Authors: McPherron Paul
Published: October 2024

Recent “critical” research in applied linguistics has explored tensions in the classroom and made the point that nothing about language teaching is value-free, including assessment and evaluation of students (Morgan, 1998; Pennycook, 2001). Informed by this research, this article is an action research project looking into the assumptions in the author’s own assessing practices and what effects these may have on student “performance.” Specifically, the article examines differences in the backgrounds and expectations of teachers and students, teacher “appropriation” of student speaking and writing, and instances of student resistance and negotiation of accepted practices. The perspectives presented here complicate the notion of “assessment” in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms and lead to the development of new teaching methods that place less emphasis on overt classroom participation and incorporate multiple perspectives into the assessment and teaching of speaking and writing. The data for the study come from lessons taught during a graduate-level ESL course at a large public university in California.
Modal Verbs and International Graduate Students: A Lesson in Choices
Authors: Schneider Jason
Published: October 2024

In recent years, researchers in the TESOL field have emphasized the need to develop more sociopolitically aware approaches to English language teaching (ELT). As a result, some ESL teacher-researchers, such as Morgan (1998, 2002, 2004) and Benesch (2001), have begun demonstrating how Freirean (1970) critical pedagogy can be applied to ELT contexts. Nonetheless, despite this growing interest in the sociopolitics of language classrooms, some practical questions remain unexplored, including the potential for explicit grammar instruction in the context of critical approaches. In this paper, it is argued that explicit form focus can be successfully conjoined with critical attitudes about language and pedagogy. Specifically, through the exploration of a university-level ESL lesson, it is demonstrated how the presentation of a particular linguistic area (modals and modality) in the context of a complex, “real-life” situation can help students understand the interconnected nature of language, interpersonal power, and institutional ideology.
Native and Nonnative English-Speaking Teacher Distinctions: From Dichotomy to Collaboration
Authors: Boecher Yumiko
Published: October 2024

The discussion on differences between native and nonnative English-speaking teachers constitutes a complex issue, involving linguistic, sociocultural, and pedagogical aspects of language teaching. The present paper seeks to uncover the myths of the native and nonnative dichotomy and make a realistic assessment of how teachers of two different backgrounds can contribute to quality teaching. It first attempts to define each category, revealing a rather blurry and artificial boundary between the native and nonnative groups. Second, the prevalence of the native speaker model in L2 education is recognized. Following that is an analysis of the pros and cons of English instruction by native and nonnative English-speaking teachers. The discussion concludes with a presentation of collaborative teaching as an innovative pedagogy that can maximize the benefits of the native and nonnative differences.
Transformative Learning: The English as a Second Language Teacher’s Experience
Authors: McClinton Jessica
Published: October 2024

The central focus of this article is to emphasize the importance of transformational learning for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL). Mezirow’s (1990, 1991) theory, in which adults experience a change in perspective that disrupts their previous knowledge or beliefs, is enhanced with student and teacher stories, as well as pertinent literature on the subjects of culture shock, knowledge, communication, and critical reflection, to provide a foundation for ongoing learning and transformation in ESL teachers.
Thinking Beyond “Increased Participation”: Integrating Civics and Adult ESOL
Authors: Nash Andy
Published: October 2024

This article proposes a process for building ESOL students’ capacity for engaged and active citizenship through which EL/civics classes serve as a venue for not just comprehending, but also critically examining, the systems we have. It draws on years of work with ESOL providers, the Equipped for the Future citizen/community member role map, and a theoretical framework that describes three kinds of citizens: personally responsible, participatory, and justice-oriented citizens. The process guides educators to approach every teaching context as having the potential to foster all three kinds of citizenship, and it encourages the exploration of possibilities at every level of English proficiency. It honors the lifetime of experience as community members that immigrants bring to each new civic task in this culture. The author lays out the process in a series of steps with specific suggestions for classroom activities and examples from teachers with whom she has worked.
Intercultural Communication in Teacher Education: The Knowledge Base for CLAD Teacher Credential Programs
Authors: Díaz-Rico Lynne T.
Published: October 2024

The California Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) teaching credential was mandated by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing in 1995 as a means of preparing classroom teachers to educate the diverse population in the public schools of California. The three skill areas incorporated into this credential are (a) the theory and practice of language development, (b) the development of specially designed verbal and nonverbal communication skills in order to deliver academic content, and (c) the development of an understanding of the pedagogical impact of cultural diversity in the classroom. California specialists in English as a second language played a major role in the design and implementation of this credential. This was the first attempt within California to designate—and mandate—the skills and responsibilities of the intercultural educator. This article reviews the skills addressed by the CLAD credential and compares them to the knowledge base offered by the discipline of intercultural communication in order to suggest possible additions to the CLAD requirements.
Interlanguage Pragmatics: What Can it Offer to Language Teachers?
Authors: Matsuda Aya
Published: October 2024

Although the necessity and importance of teaching pragmatics have been recognized, language teachers may hesitate to teach pragmatics in their classrooms for two reasons. First, teaching pragmatics is a diffi cult and sensitive issue due to the high degree of “face threat” it oft en involves and, second, the number of available pedagogical resources is limited. In this critical review of empirical studies in interlanguage pragmatics (ILP), the author argues that ILP research is a useful source of information for language teachers to make informed decisions about teaching pragmatics. First, she discusses the similarities and diff erences between L1 and L2 speakers’ pragmatics and explanations for such diff erences. Secondly, she considers how L2 learners develop pragmatic competence, both in and outside classrooms. Finally, she examines the issues of teachability and the teaching of pragmatics in language classrooms.
Teaching ESL Online
Authors: Lieu Mark
Published: October 2024

In Fall 1998, an on-line intermediate grammar/writing course was offered using the Internet and e-mail as the primary means of instruction and communication. The goal was to transfer successfully the involvement and the dynamism of the ESL classroom to an on-line environment. The author describes the planning involved in adapting an existing course to the Internet, including the rationale for instructional design decisions. At the end of the semester, the course was evaluated both by the instructor and by the students. While general communication between teacher and student was good, the author concludes that the adaptation was not completely successful. Based on the evaluations, recommendations are given for improving the course in future semesters.
New Dialogues in Mainstream/ESL Teacher Collaboration
Authors: Case Rod
Published: October 2024

The purpose of this article is to identify some of the social, instructional, and administrative processes that both marginalize and enhance collaboration between ESL teachers and mainstream instructors and administrators. The article documents the verbal and written interactions between one ESL teacher and twelve mainstream instructors and administrators within an elementary school “pullout” ESL program. Its findings reveal that the ESL teacher operates as a “marginal” member of many of the social, instructional, and administrative events within the school. The implications for practice suggest opening new dialogues between ESL and mainstream teachers that include and dignify the expertise of the ESL teacher in faculty, department, and committee meetings
Can Advanced ESL Students Become Effective Self-Editors?
Authors: Ferris Dana
Published: October 2024

Today’s ESL writing teachers and students as well as content-area professors and textbook publishers generally agree that systematic attention to accuracy in student writing is both necessary and possible, even in a process-oriented composition classroom. The author has developed an integrated approach to teaching editing skills to advanced ESL writing students. The present study investigates the effectiveness of this approach. A group of 30 students in two sections of a semester-long ESL freshman composition course were taught systematically to identify, prioritize, and attempt to correct their most serious and frequent errors. Their compositions were collected throughout the semester (3 to 5 papers per student, for a total of 136 essays), and analyzed to see if they were able, over the course of the semester, to reduce the number of errors they made. The results showed that most students were successful in reducing their overall percentages of error; further, significant differences in their performance on in-class versus out-of-class writing were noted.
Competing Motivations: LEP Adolescents’s Attitudes Toward English, Learning, and Literacy
Authors: Wenzell Vanessa , Eleftheriou Anna
Published: October 2024

This exploratory study examines the attitudes of 125 limited English proficient (LEP) students in an inner city middle school in Los Angeles. Although these students have completed bilingual or ESL programs in elementary school, they enter middle school with poor English literacy skills—all scoring below the 36th percentile on the Total Reading and Total Language parts of the California Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). A teacher-researcher team conducted a survey to see if students’ attitudes would provide insights into their poor literacy skills. The study probes attitudes toward using English in the classroom—feelings about class, peers, and parental involvement—and learning goals. The paper describes findings in which students’ positive attitudes toward English and school contrast with negative attitudes toward parent and teacher involvement and a limited awareness of literacy difficulties. Further, students’ attitudes contribute to their maintaining an environment limited to the fossilized English input of peers. The authors provide suggestions for working with students’ attitudes and for heightening literacy awareness.
Making Use of Computer-Assisted Language Learning in Higher Education: A Report From UCLA
Authors: Lynch Brian , Coughlan Peter
Published: October 2024

This paper presents an overview and analysis of a three-year computer assisted instruction (CAI) project conducted at UCLA. The project, funded by UCLA’s Office of Instructional Development, had as its primary goal the development of material for individualized instruction within the ESL service courses. In the paper, we present a brief description of how the project was carried out (including an account of the development of one piece of software), and a discussion of some of the major issues which arose concerning our implementation of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) or computer assisted instruction (CAI) in a university ESL setting. We will be presenting this discussion not as CALL experts, but as ordinary ESL teachers and administrators exploring a new technology. Rather than a state-of-the-art report on CALL, then, we intend this to be a portrayal of one experience that will hopefully be of use to those who are considering the implementation of CALL in their own instructional settings. Our discussion will refer to several sources of qualitative data that were collected over the three-year life of the project. These were written documentation produced by the project teaching assistant (including memos and journal entries), other written documents produced across the life of the project, and interviews and questionnaire data collected from the ESL service course teachers after the official completion of the project.