The Essentials

Dual Language Learners in Diverse Environments in Preschool and Kindergarten

Iliana Alanís, María G. Arreguín, Irasema Salinas-González

• Publisher: The National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781938113826
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Theory & Practice

Gain a Richer Understanding of the Interdependent Relationship Among Culture, Language, and Learning

Learn how to implement intentional practices that nurture children's bilingual identities and augment their growth in all developmental domains. Educators working with children ages 3 through 6 can apply the concepts and strategies explored in this valuable resource in a variety of early childhood settings and contexts.

Using current and foundational research, this book provides developmentally and linguistically appropriate guidance for intentional and purposeful practices with children, their families, and other members of the school community.

In each chapter, you'll find

• Discussion of a key concept from a developmental and asset-based perspective that focuses on the role of a child's home language and their family in the educational process
• Examples of children's and teachers' experiences within an educational context
• Idea Boxes that provide practical ways for educators to apply their understanding in practice
• Definitions of key terms
• Answers to frequently asked questions
• Connections to NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation Standards
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For faculty! A sample syllabus and sample activities connected to each chapter can be found online at NAEYC.org/essentials-supporting-DLLs

1

Who Are Dual Language Learners?

Objectives

› Discuss the significance of the labels used for dual language learners.

› Identify the demographic characteristics of dual language learners within the United States and within your context.

› Determine how you will develop reciprocal and respectful relationships with families.

Mrs. Olivas is leading a class of emergent bilingual 3-year-olds to the outdoor play area. As they walk along, she tells the children to listen for the birds chirping in the trees. Diego points up to the tree and excitedly says, “¡Mira! ¡Birds en los árboles!” (Look! Birds in the trees!) Mrs. Olivas smiles and responds, “Yes, Diego, there are many colorful birds in the trees.” That afternoon, when Diego’s mother arrives to pick him up from school, Mrs. Olivas takes a few minutes to speak with her in Spanish. She knows Diego’s mother has been anxious about his adjustment to a large group setting and wants to reassure her that he is adjusting and progressing as expected. Mrs. Olivas also wants to encourage her to talk with Diego in Spanish about the various birds they see at home.

Mrs. Olivas has been intentional in her efforts to establish and reinforce a reciprocal relationship built on communication, trust, and mutual respect with children and their families. She has spent a significant amount of time getting to know Diego and his family. She learned that Diego is an only child and a sequential bilingual learner who is learning English at school.

As early childhood educators engage in equitable teaching and learning for all children, it is imperative that they understand the multifaceted lives of dual language learners and their families. Effective educators establish partnerships with families and learn about their cultural capital. Educators also understand how history and language policies influence schooling for children. In this case, Diego is enrolled in a dual language program with a certified bilingual teacher. The district has him labeled as a native Spanish speaker and dual language learner. For Mrs. Olivas, however, the labels reflect only one aspect of Diego’s identity. For her, Diego is a precocious 3-year-old who enjoys playing outside, building structures in the block center, and listening to birds in the trees. Her focus is on helping him acclimate to school while developing his linguistic, socioemotional, and academic skills.

We begin this chapter with a discussion about the significance of the many labels used to describe young bilingual children. Additionally, we identify the current demographics of DLLs and the diversity found within bilingual families. We focus, however, on the need to gather substantial information about children and their families that will guide programmatic and instructional decisions as you work toward meeting their diverse needs. We conclude with strategies to develop positive, reciprocal relationships with bilingual families within your context.

Why So Many Labels?

Throughout history, linguistically diverse children in the United States have had many labels. These include the federal terms of limited English proficient (LEP), English language learners (ELLs), bilinguals, and dual language learners (DLLs). These labels have changed as our views about children learning two languages while in school have evolved. For example, LEP highlighted children’s inability to speak English and focused on the goal of English language acquisition. This deficit perspective ignored the language skills children brought to the classroom, led to deficit practices, and communicated the implicit message that children’s home languages were wrong or inappropriate in the academic context.

To move away from the deficit LEP term, the ELL label was used to identify children with a native language other than English. In essence, all children are English language learners. Thus, the term can easily describe native English speakers who are developing a deeper understanding of the English language at school. Researchers argued for the label emergent bilinguals to reflect the bilingual continuum and children’s entire range of linguistic skills as opposed to the language they have not acquired (García, Kleifgen, & Falchi 2008). Hence, the labels we use reveal our beliefs about what languages and/or cultures are valued and reinforce and influence our practices in the classroom.

emergent bilinguals

A term that reflects the potential of children to become bilingual and biliterate as bilingualism emerges (Garcia & Kleyn 2016).

language minority

Children growing up in a home where a language other than English is primarily spoken. The term often carries a less important social status and misrepresents the fact that in some schools, these children are in the majority.

As dual language programs became more prominent and successful within bilingual education, the term dual language learner emerged. This label identified children learning two languages within a bilingual education program setting. The National Head Start Act (2007) defined dual language learners as language minority children between the ages of 2 and 5 years who speak a non-English language at home but who are not necessarily enrolled in a dual language program (Head Start 2008, 2). NAEYC adopted the term dual language learners to refer to young children (ages 0–8) who are learning a second language while continuing to develop their first language.

When we label children, we create categories that do not necessarily reflect the multiple types of linguistic diversity often present in one child (García & Kleifgen 2010). Ultimately, it is more important to focus on learning more about children’s cultural and linguistic assets and the multiple sociocultural factors that influence their experiences at school. Following the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM 2017) report, in this book, we define dual language learners as children between the ages of 3 and 5 learning a second or third language at school.

Who Are Dual Language Learners?

Dual language learners in US schools represent a variety of linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds and reside within the majority of our 50 states and US territories. DLLs are also located on American Indian tribal lands and Alaska Native communities (NASEM 2017). Some are second-generation immigrants and come from households with low income where a language other than English is primarily spoken. Others are recent immigrants who are new to US norms and school culture. Many DLLs may have a parent who is an immigrant, but they were born in the United States (Gándara & Ee 2018; González-Barrera, López, & Ruhal 2015). Immigrant children combined with children born of immigrants represent 25 percent of the population (NASEM 2017). Asian Americans represent the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States with the majority of Asian families arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (Lee & Zhou 2015). According to the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA), Mexico remains the country of origin for the majority of immigrants in the United States with Latino children accounting for the majority of all immigrant youth (2018). These children come from South, Central, and Latin America. In the 2015–16 school year, Latino youth represented 75 percent of DLLs in US public schools (NCELA 2018). California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois report the highest share of Spanish-speaking DLLs, with over 62 percent (Capps 2015). There has been an increase in Latino immigrants in midwestern and southeastern states, such as Nevada (27.3 percent), Washington (11.7 percent), North Carolina (8.7 percent), Pennsylvania (6.1 percent), and Virginia (8.4 percent) (NASEM 2017).

What Languages Do Dual Language Learners Speak?

As a varied racial and ethnic population, DLLs represent many languages and dialects at varying levels of proficiency (Crosnoe & López-Turley 2011). In the 2015–16 school year, the United States reported the five most common languages as Spanish/Castilian, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Somali (NCELA 2018). (See Figure 1.1.) The number of Arabic-speaking children has increased dramatically within the last 10 years. Michigan and Maine report the highest concentration of Arabic-speaking children, at 26 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Of the Arabic-speaking population, 12 percent are enrolled in preschool and kindergarten (NCELA 2018). During the 2015–16 school year, West Virginia (9.9 percent), New York (9.2 percent), and Pennsylvania (4.9 percent) had the highest percentages of DLLs who spoke Chinese as a home language (NCELA 2018). Spanish, however, remains the most commonly spoken non-English language in US homes (González-Barrera & López 2013). According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (2018), 22 percent of DLLs enrolled in Head Start speak Spanish at home; however, Head Start children and their families speak more than 140 languages.

Figure 1.1. Most common languages spoken by DLLs. (Source: NCELA 2018.)

Getting to Know DLLs in Your Context

Dual language learners’ patterns of continuous growth reveal the urgency in adopting initiatives, curricula, and pedagogy that effectively serve their academic, linguistic, and socioemotional needs. This necessitates that educators understand and address the needs of DLLs within their local contexts. In this section, we move to the need to gather information about the children and their families within your center or school.

An initial conversation with families will help you establish meaningful partnerships that will lead to children’s overall success. Families are experts when it comes to their children and their development (Copple & Bredekamp 2009). As such, learn what is appropriate in each child’s family and community (Souto-Manning 2013). Learning about the social, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds of the children at your center or school helps you understand...