Improving schooling for language-minority children: A research agenda

Bilingual Research Journal, Spring 1997 by Julie Maxwell-Jolly, Patricia Gandara

Although authors of the NRC Report observe that studies demonstrate the unequivocal need for more teachers who are trained to work with English language learners, they note also that knowledge about how best to increase these numbers is less clear. The field of preparation and development of teachers of linguistic minority students is relatively new and there is not yet a large body of research upon which to draw. There is a well-established need for further empirical research and evidence of the effectiveness of various staff development and teacher preparation programs.

Several professional organizations have developed standards and guidelines for teachers who work in English language development and bilingual programs over the years. The NRC Report cites the guidelines from the Center for Applied Linguistics and the Teachers of English for Speakers of Other Languages as those which are most widely used (p. 255). These standards include written and oral ability in two languages and skills in promoting students' English language proficiency. In recent years programs to prepare teachers of English language learners have evolved beyond this "initial stage" of identifying competencies. Current trends reflect growing research on effective staff development in general. Findings suggest the importance of a more active teacher role in the professional development process and emphasize collaboration with colleagues, opportunities to work together as peer coaches, and ongoing teacher learning through continuous feedback from trainers and colleagues. Other current trends include requiring that all teachers receive preparation in working with English language learners and initiatives to increase the pool of teachers from minority populations. Unfortunately, authors of the NRC Report note that

despite advances in some programs, the research on staff development and preservice programs concludes thatthere is a marked mismatch between what we know about effective professional development and what is actually available to most teachers. Although there has been a paradigm shift in theoretical approaches to professional development, these approaches are not well established in practice. For example, most inservice professional development continues to take the form of short-term, superficial workshops that expose teachers to various concepts without providing the depth of treatment or connection to practice necessary for lasting effects. (p. 257)

Again, in its endeavor to avoid the polemic surrounding the education of second language learners, the authors of the Report are mute on the reasons for this failure to implement effective professional development for teachers of second language learners. Clearly some of this lack could be attributed to the inertia of large systems and the general tendency to do what has been done before. However, the lack of political will and paucity of resources devoted to improving schooling for this population of children is obviously an issue.