English Learner Education and Teacher Preparation in the U.S.: An Interpretive Language Education Policy Analysis

Autor/inn/en	Harklau, Linda; Ford, M. Katherine
Titel	English Learner Education and Teacher Preparation in the U.S.: An Interpretive Language Education Policy Analysis
Quelle	In: Language and Education, 36 (2022) 2, S.137-151 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Harklau, Linda)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0950-0782
DOI	10.1080/09500782.2021.1981925
Schlagwörter	English Language Learners; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Teacher Education; Educational Policy; Policy Analysis + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Politikfeldanalyse
Abstract	This article examines recent U.S. language education policies regarding English learners (ELs) and their teachers using an interpretive policy analysis theoretical lens (Wagenaar 2011) incorporating a sensemaking perspective on organizational dynamics (Weick, Sutcliffe, and Obstfeld 2005). We portray U.S. EL policies as shaped by varying macro, meso, and micro-local sociohistorical contexts and conflicting discourses regarding language and education. We identify major tensions between (a) centripetal versus centrifugal policy influences; (b) monolingual English-only versus multilingual policy influences; (c) policies that address ELs' specific instructional needs versus policies addressing equitable access to the mainstream curriculum. We argue that EL policy must be considered in tandem with language teacher education policies since educators' sensemaking of these tensions depends on their professional training, dispositions, and beliefs. We identify significant gaps in U.S. language teacher education policies including (a) low and inconsistent levels of teacher preparation, (b) little training for mainstream educators, and (c) inadequate recruitment of educators from EL students' ethnolinguistic communities. Based on our analysis, we argue for rigorous comparative interpretive policy analyses (Appe and Telch 2020) of EL and language teacher education policies both within and across English-dominant societies to elucidate common challenges, advocate and work for equity, and make institutional change. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01