Student Diversity and Its Complexity: Perspectives From American and Chinese ESL/EFL Teachers

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: Race, Diversity, and Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

In the past decade, the dramatic increase in migration within and across countries has complicated the educational systems globally. The increasingly diverse student population requires teachers to develop new repertoire to satisfy emerging teaching responsibilities. Surprisingly, how teachers deal with the complexity of diversity issues in real classrooms is underexplored. Literally no research investigated diversity issue in a seemingly monocultural teaching context as China. This case study provides a richer portrait of ESL/EFL instruction that captures teachers’ perspectives of diversity, their design, promotion of responsive and collaborative learning environment under the guidance of their respective language policy. Findings show how diversity figures in ESL/EFL instruction, and how those components interact in ways beyond their influence studied in isolation.

Authors

• Jing Fu, University of Michigan - Flint

• Shanshan Chang, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics