The TexLER Committee is excited to announce the Conference 2017
keynote speakers, Dr. Kristen Lindahl and Dr. Margo DelliCarpini!
keynote speakers, Dr. Kristen Lindahl and Dr. Margo DelliCarpini!
Dr. Kristen Lindahl
The role of Teacher Language Awareness in Educating Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students
An important component of today’s teacher knowledge base is how aware a teacher is of language—its use, how it works as a system, and how it is best taught (Andrews, 2007; Garcia, 2008; Svalberg, 2007). This construct is known as Teacher Language Awareness, or TLA, consists of three interwoven domains: 1) the User Domain: the teacher’s own proficiency in English and awareness of types of English used by diverse learners, 2) the Analyst Domain: the teacher’s understanding of general linguistic rules and systems, and 3) the Teacher Domain: the teacher’s ability to plan instruction that engages and supports diverse English learners (Wright & Bolitho, 1993). A crucial consideration for teachers who work with English learners is the fact that they are often proficient users of English, but may not have explicit knowledge about how language works as a system and the ways it complements, if not facilitates, other types of learning. Dr. Lindahl’s presentation will highlight findings from TLA studies conducted in a variety of multilingual contexts, including K-12 classrooms, dual language programs, and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. In discussing similarities and differences among the studies, she will discuss the implications of allowing TLA to remain underdeveloped in today’s teachers, and ways that teacher educators might promote language awareness among teachers, and ultimately, their students, as a significant resource for learning. Biography:
Dr. Lindahl is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bicultural-Bilingual Studies, College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics with a specialization in Second Language Teacher Education from the University of Utah in 2013 after completing M.A. coursework in K-12 TESOL/Bilingual Ed (2007), a TESOL Certificate (2006), and a B.A. in Spanish (2000). Dr. Lindahl began her career as a public high school ESL and Bilingual Educator, which motivated her interest in researching degrees of language awareness possessed by L2 teachers in multiple contexts. Her additional research foci include content-area L2 literacy, leadership in English education, language revitalization, and English as a foreign language (EFL) education in South America (Ecuador and Perú). She has published and presented at the state, national, and international level, with representative articles recently appearing in the International Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Education and Middle School Journal, among other peer-reviewed volumes and invited chapters. Visit Dr. Lindahl's profile. |
Dr. Margo DelliCarpini
Developing English as an Academic Language for English language learners: Revisiting Language and Content Objectives and the Preparation of Mainstream Teachers
The shortage of teachers equipped to meet the needs of English language learners (ELLs) impacts all areas of the curriculum and all levels of schooling from Kindergarten through grade12 (Elfers & Stritikus, 2014). The Center for American Progress notes that despite widespread acknowledgement of the growing number of ELLs in American schools, there are no consistent guidelines for addressing their needs in teacher preparation programs, and that whatever measures may exist vary widely from state to state (Samson & Collins, 2012). Recent legislative and policy changes, such as the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and a general shift in focus from the development of communicative language skills to the development of academic language skills within the mainstream and ESL classroom have brought to the forefront issues related to the academic success of ELLs. In an era characterized by increased accountability and greater emphasis on standardized testing, new teachers must enter the field prepared to address an overwhelming array of mandates. Teacher educators are under pressure to prepare teacher candidates to understand and address a broad range of student needs, from ELLs with interrupted formal education (SIFE) who may also be coming from traumatic conditions, to those who are characterized as “gifted and talented” and everything in between, and schools must be able to provide the administrative support necessary for these practices to flourish. I will discuss how he status-quo of preparing content-area teachers to teach mainstream students within their subject area is no longer adequate to meet the ever-more complex and rigorous academic demands placed on all students and teachers. Content-area teachers need explicit preparation in teaching strategies for ELLs, while ESL teachers need some grounding in the content taught in mainstream classrooms in order to effectively engage in Content-Based Instruction (CBI) (DelliCarpini & Gulla, 2009). It is not only content and strategies that need to be shared, though. The very act of collaboration: student to student, teacher to teacher, and institution to institution, is fraught with complexities and needs to be modeled and supported at all levels if new teachers are to enter the work force prepared to address these complexities and partnerships are to flourish. Biography: Dr. Margo DelliCarpini currently serves as the Dean of the UTSA College of Education and Human Development. Prior to this position, she served as professor and Dean of the College of Education at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky. She started at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York, as an assistant professor in 2005, earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor in 2010, and was promoted to full professor in 2013. She served as the chair of the Department of Middle and High School Education for the last three of those years. DelliCarpini also served as editor of the TESOL Journal from 2009 to 2015 and has authored numerous book chapters and refereed articles on English language acquisition, focusing on teacher preparation related to the development of academic English. She received her doctorate in linguistics from Stony Brook University in New York. She earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics and master’s degree in TESOL also from Stony Brook University. She has a certificate in Educational Administration and Leadership from the Stony Brook University and is a licensed English as a Second Language educator through the New York State Education Department. DelliCarpini was born and raised in New York. She is married to Joe Cohen and together they have four grown children (2 girls and 2 boys), and a 5-month old grandson from her son and daughter-in-law in NY. Visit Dr. DelliCarpini's profile. |