Investigating Teachers' Actions or Instructional Responses to Science Academic Language Performances of English Language Learners

• In Event: Poster Session 6
  In Poster Session: Curriculum and Instruction in the Science Classroom

Abstract

This exploratory study investigated how teachers who teach science to English Language learners (ELLs) in elementary and secondary multilingual classrooms responded to their use of science academic language. Participants were four teachers with different backgrounds and 12 of their ELLs. Data sources were classroom videos and teachers’ interviews. Videos and interviews were coded using a coding system that integrated possible teacher responses and multimodal science academic language skills. Codes’ frequencies were calculated and patterns in teacher practices were identified. Results showed that teachers responded to ELLs’ language use with different levels of sophistication that moved from implicit feedback to modeling. They also showed that teachers mainly focused on ELL’s ability to make meaning through verbal language.

Author

• Karla del Rosal, Southern Methodist University