¿Cómo Lo Escribo en Inglés o en Español? Writing in Dual‐Language Learners

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to describe the development of writing in young dual language learners, who are children under 5 years old who are learning the dominant language and another language at the same time. Early writing has been associated with literacy outcomes in the later years of elementary school. The article presents samples of different forms of young dual language learners’ writing and ways to interpret them. It also describes strategies for teachers to observe dual language learners’ writing development, create meaningful writing opportunities in the classroom that are based on authentic uses of writing in their homes and communities, and provide scaffolding for students’ learning. Examples are given to illustrate how teachers can promote opportunities to write and encourage the discovery of the specific characteristics of the written system in each language.

Code‐Meshing and Writing Instruction in Multilingual Classrooms

“…Although multilingual students' writing and code-meshing have been the focus of recent research (Gillanders, 2018;Miller & Rowe, 2014;Soltero-González & Butvilofsky, 2016), teachers may be less familiar with how to integrate code-meshing into writing instruction. In the next section, we offer classroom examples of multilingual students' code-meshing.…”

Latino English Language Learners’ Writing During Literacy-Enriched Block Play

“…The article conducted by Gillanders (2018) in the United States surveyed the interpretation of writing from bilingual learners whose aim was to enhance writing in L1 and L2.…”

“…In consequence, as they have several opportunities to practice and discover in significant situations, they start to develop consciousness of the specific features of the written system in each language. Moreover, the author claimed that these understandings will be more relevant if DLL live experiences in the classroom that follow the social purposes of writing (Gillanders, 2018).…”