Commission on Language

A key issue in language instruction today is teaching English language learners.  NCTE has accepted responsibility for educating its membership so that ELL becomes an intentional part of what we do in every realm, such as policy development, conference proposals, materials, resources, surveys, research briefs, and professional development.  NCTE is striving to become the major source of assistance to teachers of English Language Learners. 

Function:

• Examine the various ways English Language Learners are being taught in American schools and identify those that appear to be most effective. 
• Advise the Executive Committee regarding actions that can be taken to help NCTE realize these research and development goals in the next three years:
  • Because of NCTE's efforts in supporting research, scholars will be able to write extensive reviews of literature on research about learners of English as an additional language in classrooms where English is the language of instruction and the dominant language for the teacher and most of the students.

The Commission on Language continues to focus its long-term efforts of supporting the Students' Right to Their Own Language (SRTOL).  The focus on SRTOL allows the Commission to address continued concerns over a) gaps in teacher knowledge about how to address the needs of English Language and Second Dialect Learners, b) the effects of globalization on language pedagogy; and c) the impact of No Child Left Behind legislation on current educational policies and teaching practices. All have been considered avenues toward improving language/language arts theory, research, practice, and educational policies. Members of the Commission have been engaged in the following activities:

Completing the book manuscript of Affirming Students’ Right to their Own Language: Bridging Educational Policies and Literacy/Language Arts Teaching Practices.

Co-editors: Jerrie Scott, Dolores Straker and Laurie Katz have a contract with Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (LEA). LEA is working out a co-marketing agreement with NCTE. Plans are to submit the complete manuscript to the publisher by the end of October, 2007.The book will chronicle the interplay between legislated/litigated education policies and language/literacy teaching practices in diverse classrooms.  The importance of promoting all students’ rights to their own language will be addresses, with a focus on four major non-Caucasian population groups within the United States; African Americans, Hispanics, native Americans and Asian-American. The introductory chapter, Cross Currents in Legislated, Litigated, Educational Policies, provides a context for the book by establishing a timeline of historical features of related language litigation and legislation. Part I, Education Policies, Attitudes, and Unfulfilled Promises links the educational policies and practices discussed in the introductory chapter to evolving language/language arts teaching practices. Part II, Towards a Pedagogy of Success in Classrooms presents exemplary language/language arts teaching practices across the spectrum of preschool – post secondary classrooms. Part III, Global Perspectives on Language Diversity and Learning, describes effective practices used in other countries to address critical issues of language diversity. The closing chapter, Reflections on Educational Policies and Pedagogical Practices: Talking Back, highlights the responses provided in this volume to the two central questions that the book set out to address; what are some of the key elements of a policy-based framework that supports the key tenets of the SRTOL resolution? And, what are the values of and guiding principles for giving non-mainstream students greater access tot heir own language and cultural orientation in the teaching of the language and language arts?

Representative to the English Language Learner Task force of NCTE.

Chris Da Silva Iddings continues to be the representative to the English language learner task force of NCTE. She participated in the development of a position statement regarding the role of English teachers in education English Language Learners that is available on the NCTE website.

New leadership within the Commission.

Chris Da Silva Iddings has been elected as the new chair of the Commission of Language.

Commission on Language blog.

Xenia Hadjioannou helped arrange a blog through NCTE for the members of the Commission on Language. Plans are to communicate via the blog within the near future.

Nancy Shelton continues to be the contact person for the Council-Grams. She distributes the Council-Grams to the Commission’s members and the Maryland Professors of Reading Group.

Plans for future work include:

• Completion of the book. Plans are for the co-editors to submit to the Publishers by the end of October, 2007 a manuscript satisfactory to the Publishers in form and content.
• Networking with other Commissions to increase understanding of areas of shared concerns.
• Exploring a potential project between the representatives from the Commission and the committee “Language in the School Curriculum” from Linguistics Society of America.
• Bring more new members onto the Commission that represent school districts

Laurie Katz, Director