The Role of Bilingual Ed and ESL in Our Schools

The Role of Bilingual Ed and ESL in Our Schools – Podcast Episode 138 | Classnotes Podcast 138

Classnotes Podcast (April 28, 2014) Bilingual education and English as a second language programs have been in place in U.S. schools for several decades, but for some there is still a bit of a mystery about their purpose. And while the Civil Rights Act and the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Lau vs. Nichols case require schools to appropriately serve English language learners, educators and parents are sometimes unclear about their role and the rights of students.

IDRA education associate, Kristin Grayson, Ph.D., talks about why we need bilingual education and English as a second language programs, what these programs do and how parents can work with educators to make sure their children learn English while also learning their other subjects. Kristin is interviewed by Bradley Scott, Ph.D. director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity.

Show length: 14:01

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Resources

Bilingual Discussion Guide: Bilingual v. ESL – Los programas bilingϋes y de inglés como segundo idioma
http://www.idra.org/images/stories/Bilingual_ESL_Disc_Guide.pdf

Good Schools and Classrooms for Children Learning English: A Guide
By IDRA, designed for people in schools and communities to evaluate five dimensions that are necessary for success.
http://www.idra.org/research_articles/ell-education/good-schools-classrooms-children-learning-english/

Education of English Language Learners in U.S. and Texas Schools – Where We Are, What We Have Learned and Where We Need to Go from Here – A 2009 Update
“Successful Bilingual Education Programs,”
by María “Cuca” Robledo Montecel, Ph.D., and Josie Danini Cortez, M.A., IDRA Newsletter
http://www.idra.org/images/stories/IDRA_ELL_Policy_Update_2009.pdf

IDRA Early Childhood Classrooms of Excellence Model
Seamlessly-integrated instructional program that supports diverse young children’s pre-literacy development to be ready to read in kindergarten.
http://www.idra.org/services_to_educator/idra-early-childhood-centers-of-excellence-model/

Engagement Based Sheltered Instruction
A rich model of student engagement that helps educators understand students’ language proficiency levels and the language demands of content areas, texts and tests; develop student academic language in content areas; and plan, teach and observe for maximum cognitive engagement.
http://www.idra.org/Services/Engagement_Based_Sheltered_Instruction/

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA)
Analyzes, synthesizes and disseminates information about language instruction educational programs for English language learners and related programs. NCELA is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.ncela.us/

Bilingual Education Resources
Compiled by Rethinking Schools Online
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/special_reports/bilingual/resources.shtml

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Show Notes

Bradley welcomes Kristin and congratulates her on earning her Ph.D. Kristin offers an overview of bilingual and ESL education programs, explaining that both have a common goal of building student proficiency in English, while bilingual ed also aims to build on and improve children’s proficiency in their native language.

Kristin explains the need to move beyond students’ “social language” abilities and to also develop their “academic language” skills in English.

Bradley and Kristin talk about the nondiscriminatory access to school guaranteed to students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and affirmed by the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court decision of 1974, as well as the challenges to those rights that English language learners and their parents often face today.

Kristin urges parents to reinforce their native language in conversations with their children in the home.

Kristin and Bradley discuss a recent conference where Sylvia Mendez spoke about the Mendez v. Westminster case from her childhood. Coupled with the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, those landmark rulings set the tone for critical discussions around civil rights and educational equity that are still being wrestled with 60-70 years later.

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