Enhancing mainstream elementary teachers’ strategies to encourage and support multilingual students’ academic talk

• In Event: Teachers as Learners, Leaders, and Language Advocates

Abstract

This case study examines how 15 elementary teachers learned about and implemented strategies to enhance their multilingual students’ academic talk in their mainstream classes during a yearlong PD. Data include recordings of literacy instruction, interviews, and post-instruction reflections. Qualitative analysis shows evidence of teachers implementing varied practices to promote students’ talk. Yet, students with less English proficiency often still had difficulty entering and sustaining conversations with English-dominant students. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Author

• Erika Johnson, University of Iowa