Instructional Methods for Limited English Proficient Students in Subject Area Courses

This paper studies the question of what instructional strategies are most effective for classrooms with limited English proficient (LEP) students when teaching history content courses. Two specific instructional strategies are researched. The first is the ordering of direct instruction and constructivist activities. Is it best to begin with direct instruction, then move to a constructivist activity or is it best to order lessons in reverse order? The results of the study also offer insight into the efficacy of doing only direct instruction vs. constructivist activities. The second question studied is regarding group vs. individual work. Which type of work results in the most and deepest content knowledge for LEP students and what is useful about each type of work? A controlled experimental method was used with pre and post quizzes, teacher/researcher observation, and student surveys and interviews. The study finds that student learning is maximized for LEP students when direct instruction precedes a constructivist activity. Using both instructional strategies, but in this order, was shown to be the most effective instructional strategy. Individual vs. group work showed less clear results, but the student interviews provided insight into why LEP students sometimes prefer group work, even if their knowledge gained is not noticeably increased.

Effects of Different-Race Exposure in School and Neighborhood on the Reading Achievement of Hmong Students in the United States

Based on analyses of 1,622 Hmong adolescents in a large urban school district, we illuminate a positive association between school different-race exposure and Hmong limited English proficient students’ reading achievement. However, we also note a negative association of neighborhood different-race exposure with Hmong students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. These findings suggest that even if school different-race exposure opportunities are developed through racially diverse schools, this does not necessarily lead to desirable interracial social ties between Hmong students and mainstream English-speaking students. Rather, Hmong students from low SES backgrounds are more likely to benefit academically when they reside in predominantly Hmong neighborhoods.

The Perceptions of English Teachers to the SIOP® Model and Its Impact on Limited English Proficiency

Limited English proficiency is the difficulty in comprehension and production in English. In this study, the efficiency of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was examined to indicate the components that are lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery, review and assessment. The basic purpose of the research was to investigate how teachers improve the student’s language performance for limited English proficiency through using the SIOP® Model. In this paper, a qualitative research approach and semi-structured interview were used to discover the teacher’s perceptions about the SIOP® Model, and the research is to find out the problems in limited English proficiency. 10 participants (3 males and 7 females) aged from 26 to 34 (M = 30.9). The results indicate that the factors of SIOP® model can guide limited English proficient students and suggest some useful strategies for language teachers to handle the students’ difficulties in language comprehension.