The Implications of Deeper Learning for Adolescent Immigrants and English Language Learners
From the introduction: “I begin… by describing the current educational status of the nation’s ELLs and immigrant students. I go on to describe the ways in which their skills have been denigrated, and I consider a number of ways in which linguistic and cultural diversity and immigrant experiences might be reframed as valuable resources for deeper learning. I conclude with recommendations for federal and state policymaking in this area.”
This resource provides a compelling argument for the inclusion of native language instruction for ELLs, asserting that multilingualism is associated with cognitive advantages. This paper is useful for educators at all levels as it includes information relevant to both classroom and state policy level contexts. Rationales for change are included in the policy recommendations for federal and states policies regarding ELLs and immigrant students. Since these are policy recommendations, the paper does not discuss efficacy, but actionable steps that could be taken to support these students.