ESOL Strategies to Support Speakers of English Dialects
Author: Marcano Rodriguez, Yanella M.
Date: 2020-11-00
Type: Dissertations/Theses - Masters Theses
Subjects: Teacher Attitudes,English (Second Language),Instructional Effectiveness,Dialects,English,Standard Spoken Usage,Administrator Attitudes,Second Language Learning,Foreign Countries,Minority Group Students,Achievement Gap,Native Speakers,Elementary Secondary Education

The purpose of this study was to research perceptions that content-area teachers and administrators have of strategies used in teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) and the viability, feasibility, and adaptability in the general education classroom. This study investigated teachers' perception of the effectiveness of ESL/EFL strategies to support student members of minority groups who speak a specific dialect of English and must be successful in effectively understanding and using standard English. Interviews and surveys were administered to content area teachers in the United States, and at least DELTA qualified experienced ESOL teachers and administrators in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong. Three ESOL professionals shared their knowledge and experience about second language acquisition strategies that, according to their professional experience, would support student speakers of a dialect of English to be successful in an academic context. The second group was four content-area teachers and two administrators. They provided their feedback on the applicability of the strategies provided by ESOL professionals in content-area classes from their perspectives. The study suggests there is space for collaborative, integrative exchanges to occur between content-area teachers and ESOL professionals. The focus of this study was interpretive and exploratory in nature. It offers multiple opportunities for future research to refine or expand upon the findings. It is the researcher's recommendation to school administrators to implement professional development sessions focused on ESOL strategies that content-area teachers can use in classrooms where there are students members of minority groups who speak a dialect of English. Further promoting interdisciplinary exchanges between individuals and departments is recommended. None of the participants in this study worked at the elementary school level, and only one of the participants worked with both middle and high school students. It would be encouraged to replicate the study with teaching professionals at the elementary and middle school levels to gauge opinions and views at different grade levels. Including students with varying age ranges and cognitive development, levels may add another dimension to the results. The survey results suggest that content-area teachers and administrators have some familiarity with different ESOL strategies, methodologies, or activities and that participants have mostly used adapted versions of samples presented. Overall, study results reveal that content-area teachers and administrators perceive ESOL strategies or adaptations as feasible for the general education classroom to increase the academic achievement of students members of minority groups who speak a dialect of English.