Promoting Academic Achievement Among English Learners
A Guide to the Research
- Claude Goldenberg - Stanford University, USA
- Rhoda Coleman - California State University, Long Beach, USA
This comprehensive resource explores the research on promoting academic success among ELLs. It provides educators with a firm basis for making decisions related to adopting or developing effective policies and programmes for ELLs.
Promoting Academic Achievement Among English Learners provides illustrative scenarios throughout to accompany research-based discussions about:
- What we know about using ELLs' home language in their academic programme and findings about bilingual education
- ELLs learning to speak English and simultaneously learning academic content, a vital aspect of their educational agenda
- School- and district-level factors that affect ELLs' achievement
- Sociocultural factors, including the influence of parents and families
- A broad framework for improving the academic achievement of students who come to school not speaking English well or not speaking English at all.
"Given the number of English learners already in our schools and the rate at which this population is growing, effectively educating language-minority students is one of the greatest challenges schools face. To meet this challenge, as Goldenberg and Coleman forcefully argue, we need to be guided by the best research available. In this lucid, concise, and reader-friendly review of the research on teaching English learners, the authors present the information that teachers, curriculum specialists, and policy makers need to create the strongest possible instructional programs. But this book is more than a review of research—it also includes specific recommendations that follow from the research. I highly recommend this excellent book to everyone concerned with the education of language-minority children.”
"The authors have done an exceptionally good job of capturing the major trends, differing perspectives, and many challenges in schooling of English language learners, while putting forth a vision for the immediate future that is solidly grounded in research and in current and evolving knowledge. This book is essential reading for all teachers, teacher educators, and policy makers."
"A must-read for administrators, program developers, policy makers, and educators who make decisions about English language learners (ELLs) in our schools. Goldenberg and Coleman synthesize a complex body of research into a work that is objective, comprehensive, and understandable. While they address the theories and common beliefs that often drive practice with ELLs, they focus on what is known to be effective for ELLs based on child outcome data. They are also honest and transparent about their own opinions and clear when they are discussing known facts. In sum, this book represents a trustworthy source for determining what is known about providing the highest quality educational services for students who are ELLs."
