Description

Two out of five students in California schools speak a language other than English at home. Teachers need more training to bring all of those students to proficiency in English and help them succeed in other subjects.

What makes professional development for teachers of English learners effective? We hear from teachers, parents and professors about workshops that gave them tools to work with students who are learning English, and about what their own childhood experiences as English learners taught them.

Guests:

• Elvira Armas, director of the Center for Equity for English Learners, and affiliated faculty, School of Education at Loyola Marymount University
• Laura Barbosa, vice president of the District English Learner Advisory Committee, San Leandro Unified School District
• Marina Berry, First grade teacher, Lodi Unified School District
• Nicole Thompson, Fourth grade teacher, Pajaro Valley Unified School District
• Natalie Tran, professor of education, California State University Fullerton, and director, National Resource Center for Asian Languages.

Read more from EdSource:

• Collaborative, hands-on trainings crucial for English language educators
• Teachers and students both learned from this intensive summer English class
• How language-rich math can help students learning English

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.