With a substantial increase in the numbers of English language learners in schools, particularly in countries where English is the primary use first language, it is vital that educators are able to meet the needs of ethnically and linguistically changing and challenging classrooms. However, despite the recognition of the importance of effective leadership for successful teaching and learning, there is a lack of research into leadership of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). This article reports on a research project investigating leadership practices which support ESOL teaching and learning in two New Zealand schools, where English language learners are a minority in the classroom. A number of successful leadership practices for ESOL emerged, including establishing clear goals, enabling leaders to be role models, providing ESOL professional learning, and empowering teaching and learning for ESOL. A number of challenges to successful leadership were also revealed, such as the marginalisation of ESOL and a business as usual approach, with English language learners expected to fit into existing practices. This article concludes that as numbers of English language learners continue to grow in schools, a strong focus on developing leadership practices and capacity to support ESOL teaching and learning is essential.
This paper takes a sociocultural approach to exploring the factors that enhance young children's bilingual development. The language excerpts presented were gathered as part of a three-year Early Childhood Centre of Innovation project funded by the New Zealand government. Data gathered in this project challenge Krashen's (1981) position that young children will generally acquire another language through subconscious osmosis, rather than through the conscious effort of learning. Evidence is put forward that illustrates how young children's bilingual development is in fact mediated by their teachers and peers, as well as the cultural tools provided in the environment and the nature of the language input itself. Young children are also revealed as active language learners who interact collaboratively with others and with their environment. Thus, the value of early childhood teachers in taking a more proactive role to support the process of young children's bilingual development is affirmed.
A teacher's identity is thought to evolve in a continuous, situated fashion, amidst dynamic interaction between cognitive, affective, social, cultural and political factors. However, the literature provides little insight into the impact on the ongoing identity construction of class teachers when they encounter a few students with English as an additional language (EAL) in their mainstream classes. This paper reports on a year-long study involving eight class teachers in four different New Zealand primary schools. Data from in-class observations, interspersed by a series of individual reflective discussions, revealed how the presence of EAL students in the mainstream setting created tensions, the resolution of which shaped class teachers' professional identities. Tensions surfaced in data on class teachers' self-efficacy perceptions, selection of teaching roles, relations with support teachers and professional development priorities. These findings thus provide fresh insights into how new situations may impact on class teachers' selfidentities. In particular, this investigation suggests the need for schools, teacher educators and policy makers to assist teachers in challenging, and indeed moving outside of the socially prescribed borders that have traditionally defined their professional identities within the school, in order to build shared practices and more collaborative ways of solving problems.
This paper positions local literacy issues against a backdrop of increasing global ethnolinguistic diversity. National language choices are generally influenced by wider debates on the politics of location, so decisions about language(s) associated with teaching literacy in schools tend to occur at the intersection of national and international interests. The tensions that exist at this intersection may underlie the fact that, while schools in New Zealand have been keen to embrace the multimodal literacy opportunities offered by new technologies and greater global connectivity, increased ethnolinguistic diversity has been slower to impact on literacy pedagogy. As a result, New Zealand's educational policies have tended to reinforce literacy practices that are largely English dominant, and New Zealand teachers are often found to be negotiating literacy‐related pedagogy within intercultural classrooms by trial and error. This paper provides insights into this situation and presents three literacy scenarios involving young English language learners to illuminate some of the critical literacy challenges that face New Zealand education. Ultimately, it is argued that more emphasis on transliteracy experiences will be required to meet the educational aim of greater participation in future global contexts.
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