'If I could not make a difference why would I be a teacher?' Teaching English as an Additional Language and the quest for social justice

Bhatti, G and McEachron, G (2017) ''If I could not make a difference why would I be a teacher?' Teaching English as an Additional Language and the quest for social justice.' In: Peters, M.A, Cowie, B and Menter, I, eds. A companion to research in teacher education. Springer, Singapore, pp. 681-696. ISBN 9789811040733

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Abstract

English speaking countries such as UK and US have a growing number of children and young people for whom English is a second or an additional language. Educational under-achievement can be traced to insufficient command of the English language. Unequal access to the curriculum can lead to social injustice and educational inequality. Schools are tasked with preparing children and young people for further/higher education and future employment opportunities. Adequate and timely support for English as an Additional Language (EAL) is critical. Research in UK and US has shown the differences in policies in both countries. This chapter reviews recent research and looks at how teachers cope with EAL. It reveals the extent of teachers’ commitment to their students, as well as a three way interpretation of classroom experiences from the perspectives of student researchers, teachers and principal researchers. It is suggested that well-resourced EAL provision can help to counter marginalization by building students’ capacity to learn and perform well at school.

Item Type:	Book Chapter or Section
Note:	This chapter is about the education of children and young people who find themselves in countries where learning English is an absolute necessity. Their inclusion is not possible without the pivotal role played by teachers who can make a real difference, and whose values can be seen as social justice in action (Griffiths 2003). The chapter is in two parts; the first considers policy and practice in relation to English as an Additional Language (EAL) mostly from a British perspective, with reference to some research findings in the United States (US). The second is based on a research project in Henrico County US involving Bath Spa University (BSU) in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Bristol, UK involving students from the College of William and Mary (WM) in US.
Keywords:	language policy, National Curriculum, English language learner, principal researcher, student researcher
Divisions:	School of Education
Date Deposited:	29 Jun 2017 15:20
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2021 09:46
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/9724

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