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How to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners in Today’s Schools

How to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners in American Schools

Nicole Pierz-Recinos

Capstone Project

Post University

June 2017


Abstract

The growing number of English Language Learner’s (ELL’S) in the United States is an issue we all must be concerned with. The numbers are steadily increasing and determining what the most effective strategies are for the success of these students is of paramount importance. Closing the achievement gap between ELL students and native speakers is a key focus for schools throughout the country. The research conducted in this paper seeks to determine if instruction in a student’s native language can aid in lowering the testing gap. The approach taken was to present a unit of study in both the students native language (Spanish) and English. The lesson plans were divided into content delivered in both languages. Proficiency was measured in English only and results were calculated through both formal and informal assessment. The results concluded that instruction in native language was not only successful but also highly beneficial to students. The students were visibly more engaged and excited about the material and formal assessment showed an increase in scores on this unit of study when compared with previous English only units of study. This research conclusively supports the learning theory that information learned in one’s native language (L1) does transfer to the new language (L2). The goal of closing the achievement gap can most certainly be met by providing a form of bilingual education to non-native speakers.


Problem Statement

Education in the United States is seeing a dramatic shift. Changing demographics in our

country are posing a new set of challenges for American schools. English Language Learners

(ELL’s) are the most rapidly growing student population group in our schools today. Students

who are learning English as a second language need more specific kinds of support to be

successful in school. ELL’s academic performance reflects the need for this support given it is

lower than that of other groups (Anderson, 2015). One issue that continuously arises within this

group is the mis-identification of ELL’s as Learning Disabled (LD). The current method of

labeling doesn’t do enough to differentiate between language acquisition issues and learning

disabilities (Sanatullova & Robinson, 2016). A possible cause of this misidentification is the

lack of qualified and well trained ESL professionals. Better tailored instructional practices are

necessary to the meet needs of ELL’s as well. The use of bilingual education may be part of the

solution in terms of closing this widening gap for English Language Learners. The impact of

closing this gap would be felt throughout the country as its largest growing population would be

better educated and suited for job positions beyond entry level that meet the needs of the country,

for example in the fields of math and science.

Addressing the educational needs of ELL’s is a matter of vital importance. The potential

for bilingual education to close the achievement gap is a topic worth exploring and research into

this area could provide the answers to vital questions facing our nation’s schools. Without this

research this problem can continue to grow and affect the United States and its ability to remain

a global super power.


This project seeks to answer the question: Is native language instruction the most effective

strategy for helping ELL’s succeed in the classroom?

Introduction:

Bilingual Education serves a purpose in today’s schools. The scope of that purpose is

varied depending on which theories one subscribes to. The research on the topic of bilingual

education is diverse and varied, and at times can be conflicting. This paper serves to summarize

some of the foremost research findings regarding the purposes and effectiveness of bilingual

education. Does bilingual education increase support for English Language Learners on their

journey towards English proficiency?

The issue is complex. There are various components that influence the prevailing views

on the importance of and need for bilingual education. Changes to bilingual education in the

United States will have an effect on the future successes of the Latino community. The topics

addressed in this paper will include: How politics and policy influences bilingual education.

Whether bilingualism should be end goal for everyone, and if a mono-linguistic society is even

realistic at this point. The next question served to be answered is how big the benefit of

instruction of a student’s native language really is. This is especially important to answer in

terms of ensuring comprehension and that the student doesn’t fall behind in all content areas

while acquiring English.

It is hoped that readers will look at the articles and studies cited in this review to make

informed decisions about the future of bilingual education.


Literature Review

Point 1 – Politics and Policy

Politics has long played a role in the status of bilingual education in American history

and its perceived value has risen and fallen throughout many presidential administrations.

Opposition to bilingual education is sometimes entrenched in xenophobia and ethnic prejudice,

however, obviously not all bilingual education cynics are bigoted xenophobes. It is clear though

that the anti-immigrant and “we only speak English here” rhetoric does show that many are

afraid that the use of other languages in school will somehow fracture our national identity.

A review of the literature shows that politics has played a huge role in bilingual education

throughout history. For example, the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language

Affairs became the Office of English Language Acquisition under George W. Bush (Olague &

Ekiaka, 2013). That name change alone can tell you the policy of that presidential

administration. This is the name the office still holds today.

Xenophobia and the role it has played in the bilingual education debate cannot be ignored

either (Hale & Hamer, 2011). One can propose that racist and pro-white dominance is evident in

US Public schools today (Huber, 2011). Violence against immigrants is nothing new in this

country and is a long-standing tradition by certain members of the dominant culture on those

perceived as less than or not as deserving of opportunity. Another point of view, however,

presented by Rosalie Porter (1997) suggested that “All too often, it remains almost impossible to


voice criticism of bilingual education programs without being pilloried as a hater of foreigners

and foreign languages and of contributing to the anti-immigrant climate (p31).”

Anti-immigration sentiment also plays a key role in the bilingual education debate. There is

a very strong belief, held by many, that says “English only” is the only way our schools should

be, and especially in the case of undocumented Spanish speakers there is little or nothing

American schools should do to make this transition easier for such students (Harman & Varga,

2010) and (Wang, 2016). This is not a unique sentiment. The thought process for many is that

the United States is making too many adjustments for those that are here illegally. The reality is

these immigrants are here and they are not leaving and continuing to marginalize them is highly

counterproductive to the success of society as whole. Immigrants are aware of the sentiment

against them and often can cause them to give up on education. (Harman & Varga, 2010). This

will cause them to have lower paying jobs and much lower lifetime earning potential. Since the

younger generation pays into social security for the older generation it is imperative that the

Latino community, who will make up the majority of the population, have higher paying skilled

jobs.

The idea of recognizing the voices of minority students and providing them with an

instructional setting that includes their native language and culture is admirable, but the

opponents of bilingual education say it threatens national integrity. This idea of English only has

caused the dismantling of bilingual programs and causing many students to be put in a “sink or

swim” language immersion setting. The fact is this approach has done little to raise their test

scores or aid English acquisition (Wang, 2016). Although Porter (1997) once again counters that

“there is still no consistent research support for bilingual education as a superior instructional


practice for improving the English language achievement of limited-English-proficient children

(pg 39)."

Point 2- Bilingualism for All

An analysis of the literature researched in this review, finds that bilingual education is

effective in teaching both English and content area knowledge. However, the debate about

bilingual education is heavily based on those kids and often the discussion loses importance

because it’s not about our kids, but we need to start to better consider the benefits for our kids.

Bilingualism has an economic benefit for our young in relation to employment, promotion, and

earnings as well as competitiveness in a global society. There is no denying there is a large

Spanish speaking population in the United States and the world, and if every child, including

white children, are to have every opportunity to succeed they need to be more than monolingual.

How many job ads say “bilingual required” or “bilingual preferred?” A lot, and that number will

only increase as we continue to live in an increasingly global society (Cortina, Makar & Mount-

Cors, 2015).

The literature supports that there are cognitive, social and linguistic benefits to

bilingualism (Espinosa, 2015). The cognitive benefits of early bilingualism cross socioeconomic

conditions as well as racial/cultural groups. Research has shown that very young children can

learn multiple languages with relative ease even as they are experiencing rapid growth and

development in all areas of their lives (Espinosa, 2015). Bilingualism and Multilingualism are

common throughout the world, but resisted in the United States (McCardle, 2015). There are no

reasons put forth to remain monolingual that aren’t based in xenophobia and fear (Bialystok,


2011). It was hard to find research that conflicted with this finding. It would seem that

education policies and practices in regard to bilingualism are frequently based on untruths, myths

and attitudes instead of facts, in spite of scientific evidence on both the advantages and

disadvantages of bilingualism. (McCardle, 2015).

Point 3- Actual Benefits of Native Language Instruction

There are research based facts that prove students benefit from native language

instruction and information processed in their native language transfers to the language being

acquired (Salmona, 2014.) While use of Native language was once criticized in Second

Language Acquisition (SLA) because it was believed, according to Ghobadi and Ghasemi (2015)

“Use of First language (L1) would result in the fossilization of Second language (L2) structure

forms in the learner's Interlanguage system (pg 245.)” This idea has changed and now the

benefits of using L1 have been researched (Teimourtash & Shakouri, 2016). In recent years, the

idea of a student’s L1 being used in the teaching and learning of their L2 has revitalized as a

result of the understanding that information gained in L1 can serve as a benefit in L2 teaching

and in learning (Hunt, 2012) through transfer of knowledge. In the last 20 years, strong

theoretical arguments have been made for L1 use in classrooms. Most of these arguments are

based on the idea that L1 use can assist in the processes of both acquiring and teaching L2.

Copious amounts of research have been done in recent years to authenticate these theoretical

perspectives. Research evidence says information transfers from L1 to L2. This means that

knowledge gained in L1 is more easily reflected in L2.


Point 4- Native Language Instruction As An Effective Strategy

The literature shows that instruction in a person’s native language can be a highly

effective tool for increasing success in the classroom (Dong, 2013). Vocabulary is key to

passing standardized tests and calling on student’s prior knowledge and experiences in their

native language can aid tremendously. Using native language to facilitate learning in English is

a strategy that has been proven to be effective (Vance, 2017). Supplementing the English

education of students in their native language is a highly beneficial tool and strategy that can be

used in the classroom.

Conclusion

The wealth of research available seem to overwhelmingly corroborate that there is a definite

benefit to using a student’s L1 to aid in acquisition of L2. Those opposed to bilingual education

will say the amount of time a child spends being instructed in English is the most important part,

yet the literature supports a more complex perspective. Most studies suggest that bilingual

education is effective in teaching both English and content area knowledge. All of the literature

cited contributes to the field of bilingual education through significant research and research

based analysis of the topic. The strengths are in the research and examination of the practice of

bilingual education. The weaknesses are in the fact that what is considered bilingual education is

extremely varied and it can be hard to assess what works when. The many forms of bilingual

education can be difficult to group into one category and so more research is needed to break

down the forms of bilingual education and determine which approaches are most successful in

what circumstance.


Research Design and Methodology

Introduction

Is bilingual education the key to closing the achievement gap between English Language

Learners (ELL’s) and their Non-ELL peers in American schools? That is the question to be

answered throughout this research paper. This is an important topic for discussion given the fact

that the percentage of ELL’s in American schools was 9.4 percent or an estimated 4.6 million

students in 2016 (“The Condition of Education” n.d.). English Language Learners are America’s

fastest growing student group. Money allocated to ELL students is in decline while enrollment

has climbed sharply. In the last 20 years, ELL enrollment in U.S. schools has grown 57 percent,

while there has only been four percent growth for all students (“ELL Strategies & Best

Practices” n.d.). ELL students make up almost 10 percent of the total student population in the

United States, so why are such a large number—more than two-thirds of whom were born right

here in the U.S.—stuck in a battle for equal access, opportunity and achievement?

Hypothesis

When students receive instruction in their native language it increases test scores and the

overall academic success throughout the school years. Instruction in their native language also

closes the achievement gap between ELL’s and Non-ELL’s.


Research Methods

The research methods used will be both qualitative and quantitative. The lessons

presented have components in both English and Spanish. The assessment will be conducted

formally and informally, however all formal assessment is conducted in English only.

The data analysis will consist of ELL’s in a self-contained classroom made up of native

Spanish speakers only. The conclusions will be based on correlations between assessment data

of materials presented in only English and materials presented in both English and Spanish.

There will be systematic review of research to determine the effectiveness of bilingual education

in ELL achievement. Student achievement within this unit will be measured by examining the

achievement gap between ELLs and non-ELL’s. The non ELL’s data was provided by

cooperating teachers who also taught the same unit.

Conclusion

The data is expected to show what, if any, achievement gap closure can be seen amongst

students that receive instruction in their native language and what the ramifications of bilingual

education in one form or another can be in terms of overall ELL student success across academic

curriculum.


Evaluation and Assessment of the Project

Student Rubric


Discussion and Reflection

There is no doubt in this author’s mind that there is a huge benefit to using a student’s native

language to help them gain mastery of various skills and content in school. My students were so

much more engaged while they were learning. Often time when I play them videos of materials

we are learning in English their little eyes glaze over because they don’t understand so much of

what is being said. They watch the video but they don’t necessarily listen as well as I would

like. It is a completely different story when the videos are in Spanish. The children are visibly

more engaged and listening better to what is being presented to them. They don’t even seem to

mind at all that content is sometimes being presented to them twice because each time is so

different because of the language being used.

It bothers me to no end that my students are considered to be academically lower or slower than

native English speakers. That is not at all the case. The barrier for them is language. When I

read stories with my own children at home they may see a boy holding a bowl and so when they

struggle with the word bowl they can look at the picture and figure out the word is bowl. For my

Spanish students it isn’t so easy because they may not know the word bowl in English and so

looking at the picture doesn’t help them. It can be so frustrating for students and teachers alike.

That is why using effective strategies like native language support and vocabulary practice and

extra phonics lessons are so vital for these students.

It was my pleasure to do this project. I feel I learned a lot and will use the knowledge to carry

me forward on my journey to being an extraordinary ESL teacher.


Appendix A- Self Evaluation Rubric

Points 5-Masterful 4-Skilled 3-Able 2-Developing 1-Novice Pts given

PMP closely followed

Student completed each task as planned and on time

Student managed to stay mostly on time

Student did some tasks on time and some a little late

Student was mostly late with tasks

Student did not deliver on time any portion of the project

5

Shows expertise in content area delivery

Paper is well organized and answers all questions posed

Paper is mostly well organized with most questions answered

Student left several unanswered questions

Student left most questions unanswered

Student didn’t answer any questions

4

Project is worthy of implementation in future classes

The project was highly successful and needs little or no tweaking

Project needs some slight modifications

Project needs several modifications

Project needs serious reworking to be successful

Project does not work at all 5

Project met all component requirements

Every component asked for is delivered

Almost all components were delivered

Some components missing

Several components missing

All components missing 5

Project demonstrates proficiency in content area of M.Ed.

Shows superior knowledge of content area

Shows significant knowledge of content area

Shows capability in content area

Needs more time to study content area

Lay person level of content area knowledge

4

Total points available 25_____________________________________________________________ 23 /25


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