Grappling With Enactment: Building Teachers' Capacity to Create Dialogic Learning Experiences for Emergent Multilingual Students

• In Event: Cultivating Dialogue in Language and Literacy Teacher Education

Abstract

To support their language development, emergent multilingual students need opportunities to talk about content--that is, to engage in dialogic learning. I report on a self-study of one course module preparing teacher candidates (TCs) to support emergent multilingual students. I identified themes related to dialogic learning that emerged in class discussions and analyzed TCs’ lesson plans, commentaries, and reflections to see how they enacted themes in their instructional planning. While TCs identified many instructional practices that support dialogic learning, their enactment was mediated by their teaching contexts, especially teaching online. Nearly all engaged students in interaction, most frequently whole-class and text-based interaction; less than half used small groups. I raise implications for scaffolding enactment and for future research investigating text-based interaction.

Author

• Laura Alvarez, Saint Mary's College of California