Experts in the Field of Long-Term English Learner Research

          There are two places in the United States where the majority of research around the issue of Long-Term English Learners is being done. One of these places is California and the other is New York. Both states have statistically significant numbers of English Language Learners, and more importantly LTELs. Dr. Laurie Olsen and Dr. Kate Kinsella are both doing their research out of California, and Dr. Kate Menken and Dr. Tatyana Kleyn are both from New York. The work that Menken and Kleyn have done was part of a project funded by the New York City Department of Education, Office of English Learners which took place from 2007-2009. Menken was the Principal Investigator and Kleyn was the Faculty Consultant and Co-Author for the project.

Dr. Laurie Olsen

Dr. Laurie Olsen

Dr. Laurie Olsen is an educator in the California Bay Area region. She is part of the Californians Together coalition which advocates for civil rights, equity, access to quality education for all students, but especially for English Language Learners. In her pivotal study, “Reparable Harm,” Olsen (2010) revealed that many students, in their formative, elementary schooling, received little to no ELD instruction, were provided with curriculum and course materials not adapted for use with ELLs, enrolled in weak language development program models, and or were given only given access to a narrowed version of the core curriculum. She further explained that a lack of continuity in programs, social segregation of linguistically homogenous groups, and transitional schooling, “spending some time in schools in one country, and some time [sic] in the United States, with movement back and forth over the course of their education,” results in the language gaps that plague students who eventually become LTELs (Olsen, 2010, pp.13-20). Olsen describes LTELs as students who generally struggle academically, have distinct language issues (high functioning social language in both their home language and English, but weak academic language knowledge and skills), and have limited background knowledge and schema. An interesting dichotomy that Olsen points out is that many LTELs want to go to college but are unaware that they are not on track to meeting their goal, while on the other hand, some LTELs have become so discouraged that they disengage, fall behind, and some eventually drop out.

            Students who become LTELs can often be difficult to identify, without knowledge of their educational background. They can often speak in a seemingly fluent manner, but they lack the academic English conventions, vocabulary, grammar, discourse formats and language functions to be proficient. Students with these language gaps have found coping strategies of non-participation, silence, and passivity in order to be undetected and unexposed. Many LTELs become discouraged, which can lead them to stop asking for help. Students in this category are often misplaced in interventions and support classes intended for struggling native English speakers (Olsen, 2012).

Dr. Kate Kinsella

Dr. Kate Kinsela

            Dr. Kate Kinsella is the foremost expert on teaching academic vocabulary in a formalized routine for maximum retention. She helped to develop Scholastic’s Read 180 program, and has most recently developed English 3D for Scholastic, designed specifically for meeting the academic vocabulary deficiencies of Long-Term English Learners. Kinsella offers many workshops on learning to deliver academic vocabulary to students at all levels. In her explicit vocabulary routine students are introduced to a word and its meaning several times and in several different ways, before they are given formalized assessment. They learn how to pronounce each word, are told the meaning of the word, and shown multiple examples of the word in context, then are given immediate practice in using the word. Finally, word knowledge is put further in to context through readings and various writing activities. Once a student has reached mastery of the word, they are asked to use the word orally, usually through a report or some other form of structured writing (Kinsella, 2012).

            Another important aspect of Kinsella’s work is in the field of academic discussion. It is not enough for LTELs to gain mastery of various academic words, but it is also important for them to obtain the language needed to hold and sustain academic discussions. She most often does this through the use of frames and modeling. Students are given different frames for various academic purposes, then are shown how they should be used, and in which settings. Then, students are asked to produce the language with a partner, or small group, before sharing with the class or on some other individual basis. Kinsella maintains that students’ interactions need to be structured and ELLs need proper language supports to further learning and language retention (Kinsella, 2012).

Dr. Kate Menken

Dr. Kate Menken and Dr. Tatyana Kleyn

            Dr. Kate Menken and Dr. Tatyana Kleyn are both researchers from New York, who have done extensive research on bilingual education and on Long-Term English Learners, as part of a study funded by the New York City Department of Education, Office of English Language Learners. The two phase project was designed to study the characteristics and needs of LTELs in the New York City school system. The study focused on students who had been in United States schools for seven or more years, were bilingual in English and Spanish, but had not been reclassified. Their goal was to come up with a program that would focus on biliteracy development for these students (Menken & Kleyn, 2009).

Dr. Tatyana Kleyn

            What these researchers found is that Long-Term English Learners are facing conflicting feelings over the value of their primary language and English, as well as conflicting feelings about their native culture over the dominant culture of America. The LTELs in their study wanted to be identified as English speakers, but also took pride in their cultural heritage and language. Unfortunately, as with many LTELs, these students had limited proficiency in their primary language and were uncomfortable with using it in an academic way, whether that is reading or writing. They could all articulate their perception of the value of spoken Spanish, but due to their lack of literacy in that language, often avoided any mention or application of written Spanish. Their research has given me great insight into the complicated cultural dichotomy our LTEL students are facing both at home and at school. Students need to have their native language affirmed and supported at a young age if we are to significantly reduce the number of languishing LTELs in our school systems (Menken & Kleyn, 2010).