Preschool Dual-Language Education Teachers' Language Ideologies and Practices for Emergent Bilingual Students With Disabilities

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Six
  In Roundtable Session: Ideologies, Policy, and Practice When Instructing Bilingual Students (Table 12)

Abstract

This study examines the developmental preschool dual language education (DLE) teachers’ language ideologies and practices for emergent bilingual students with disabilities (EBSWD). Language policies have not historically embraced the increasing linguistic diversity in the US. EBSWD require services supporting their linguistic and disability needs; however, current policies either support their linguistic or disability needs. Several misconceptions regarding EBSWD restrict their access to DLE classrooms. Therefore, I aim to understand teachers’ beliefs and language practices as they make decisions on the ground, influencing students’ educational trajectories, using Spolsky’s language policy theory. As an ethnographic study, the data was collected via participant observations, interviews, and recording classroom interactions and analyzed using a constant-comparative method. Findings and implications will be discussed.

Author

• Sultan Kilinc, Syracuse University
  Presenting Author