Date on Honors Thesis

Fall 10-12-2016

Major

English Education- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL PreK-12)

Minor

Spanish

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Latricia Trites

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Sue Sroda

Examining Committee Member

Dr. Ho Ryong Park

Abstract/Description

This project will seek to identify gaps in pre-service teacher education as it relates to appropriate instructional strategies for English Language Learners (ELLs). First, public and private liberal arts schools of higher education in Kentucky will be analyzed for relevant programs and courses addressing the needs of ELLs and research-driven instructional techniques used to educate them. It will be determined that many of the schools offer undergraduate or graduate level endorsements and certificate programs, but only one, Murray State University, offers an undergraduate degree-bearing program. Next, ELLs, their characteristics, and unique needs will be defined to ensure that all stakeholders involved are operating with the same understanding of the students. Finally, a sample instructional module will be presented focusing on the basics of ESL instruction, techniques, and theories. This module is intended to be utilized in pre-service teacher education courses, as well as with current public and private school P-12 educators. Through this research, it becomes clear that more of a concerted effort needs to be made to teach educators how best to serve the ELL population at large. This research is relevant because the ELL population has increased over the past 20 years and is expected to continue to do so in the future, and these historically underserved students deserve a quality education.

Additional Author Comments

This research was conducted in 2016 and does not reflect the author’s current understanding of design principles or the evolution of the ELL educational research body.

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