Date of Award

2024-05-01

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

Advisor(s)

Elena Izquierdo

Abstract

Reclassification is a crucial educational student outcome when a school system determines that a student is English proficient and ready for mainstream instruction without language support services (Umansky et al., 2020). This study examined the relationship between crucial and complex language ideologies of dual language teachers and the reclassification of emergent bilingual students1.. Language ideologies were the theoretical framework for the study through which the voices of dual language teachers were captured. The analysis of data sources, including teacher interviews, classroom observations and evidence of biliteracy development, helped to understand and reveal how dual language teachers navigate the dynamics of reclassification and possible influences on reclassification. Five key themes emerged: (a) personal experiences and linguistic trauma on the border, (b) transformational ideologies and pedagogies, (c) tensions and contradictions caused by the goals of dual language programs and reclassification, (d) inconsistencies and lack of training in district reclassification policies, and(e) traumatic healing. The data demonstrated that all participants adhered to state, district, and campus requirements. However, they expressed a need for support, guidance, and a better understanding of the reclassification process. While they acknowledge the importance of emergent bilingual students demonstrating English language proficiency, their voices, thoughts, and feelings emerged regarding teaching and evaluating emergent bilingual students for English language proficiency in DLBE during the reclassification process.

1 The term Emergent Bilingual focuses on the unique potential for bilingualism possessed by students learning English in school (García & Li Wei, 2014). I use this terminology throughout this proposal as it demands that we take an asset-based view of the capabilities of emergent bilingual students, who are simultaneously acquiring a new set of linguistic capabilities in school and building on the valuable knowledge of their first language. Keywords: Reclassification, emergent bilingual students, dual language bilingual education, teacher language ideologies, academic language, academic architecture

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

175 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Claudia Cabrera

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