Research Synthesis of What Preservice Teachers Need to Know to Teach English Language Learners

• In Event: 61.086 - Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: 61.086-1 - Preparing Preservice Teachers to Teach English Language Learners: Issues and Perspectives

Abstract

Objectives or purposes
Building upon existing research on the connection between teacher knowledge and ELL students’ learning, this paper seeks to identify specific orientations, knowledge and skills that teachers need to work effectively with ELLs. Additionally, it looks for effective practices through which teacher educators and teacher preparation programs can support pre-service teachers’ development of the orientations, knowledge and skills.

Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
This analysis is framed with Johnson’s (2009) sociocultural perspective on second language teacher education. Working from a socio-cultural perspective, we see pre-service teachers as learners of teaching and language teaching as dialogic mediation through social practices within the broader social, cultural, and historical macro-structures that are ever present and ever changing in the teaching profession. Therefore, we believe that pre-service teacher preparation must address not only disciplinary knowledge in language teaching, but also teacher identity development, the macro-structures within the teaching profession, and teacher continuous professional learning.

Methods
The paper presents the results of a literature review of both theoretical and empirical analyses that look into the knowledge and skills necessary to work with ELLs at the K-12 level.

Data sources
The authors examined more than 30 research articles related to teacher preparation that takes ELL school students into account. Different denominations of ELLs were considered in the literature search. Those terms included: English Language Learners, Culturally Diverse Learners, students of English as a Second Language, students with Limited English Proficiency, and emergent bilinguals. The review focused on the knowledge and skills needed to teach ELLs, and the practices that teacher education needs to ensure the development of those skills and knowledge.

Results
The literature suggests that pre-service teachers need to understand ELLs as bilingual and bicultural students, for whom schooling needs to take into account language and culture. Also, the literature reiterates that teachers need to learn to navigate and negotiate educational policies and reform initiatives that may ignore or even impede ELLs’ learning. As well, they need to become reflective learners, aware of their views of ELLs and how those views impact their teaching (Freeman & Johnson, 1999; Richards, 2010).

Scientific or scholarly significance
This analysis provides an urgently needed summary of the practices to prepare pre-service teachers with specific knowledge, skills, and orientations as the foundation to enhance ELLs’ learning. Also, by identifying that extensive knowledge base, this paper could serve as the seed for a professional development structure, starting during pre-service and coherently extending to the in-service stage. Additionally, the results of this literature review suggest that research needs to unify, sequence, or prioritize definitions of teacher knowledge necessary to teach ELLs.

Authors

• Guofang Li, University of British Columbia

• Jose Martinez-Hinestroza, Michigan State University