Standard 5A: ESL (ENL) Research and History
The artifact I chose for Standard 5A is a research paper that I authored for ESC 769: Latinos in US Schools. In this class, we were mainly tasked with reading small bits of research and writing on discussion boards to reflect on that research. The research covered a range of topics but understandably revolved around the education of Latinos in the US.
This paper was my attempt to combine what I had learned through research in previous classes with what we had been told to read in this class. Looking back, this is the paper that I am most proud of in my graduate school career. It is thoroughly researched, accurate, and it flows logically.
In the process of writing this paper, I developed a more authentic understanding of and realized that I enjoy researching bilingual and ENL education. During my first year of teaching and first three semesters of graduate school, I was in a bit of a fog. The learning curve was as steep as they come. It may have been the style of class – an entirely online seminar – it may have been the time of year – the class took place over the summer, so I had all of the time I needed to do research and ruminate on certain ideas – or it may have been some other factor, but I feel that the completion of this class with this paper was a turning point for me. No matter the reason, this class and this paper helped me take a cloud of knowledge and turn it into crystallized intelligence.
This paper demonstrates a thorough understanding of the relevant research, citing some of the foremost researchers in ENL in the 2000s (Bartlett & Garcia, 2011; De Jong, 2011; Krashen, 2005; Menken & Solorza, 2014). In an effort to understand the history of ENL research, I made sure to reach back and pull previously well-respected research from Cummins (1979) and compare it to recent research. I also demonstrate a willingness to go outside of bilingual and ENL research as this paper cites data from the U.S. Census (2010) and the American Community Survey (2015). This paper is a synthesis of old and new research and demonstrates the largest leap in my development as an ENL teacher.
There is something to be said for entirely online research seminars, especially during the summer. The online style allows each learner to move at his or her own relative pace. Rather than a teacher moving the class along at an average pace while some people may need more or less time, an online class lets students take three days or two hours to write a few paragraphs.
Taking a class in the summer similarly enables students to take their time but in a different way. I often feel pressured to pump out mediocre work by my own standards during the working months. I generally sit down to do my graduate schoolwork on Saturdays, as I am doing presently, and whatever I produce in that two-to-six-hour window will have to do. However, in the summer, I was able to read research, watch a baseball game, think some more about the research, go for a walk, and then write my paper. The latter is superior in every respect.
For those reasons, I feel that this class and this paper gave me the confidence that I could be a competent teacher with research-backed opinions and rationales my instruction. This confidence enabled me to advocate for my students by arguing for an additive environment that encourages the use of home language. For my students and me, this experience was invaluable.
