English Language Learners in Appalachia

Research Question: What is an English Language Learner and what is the population makeup of ELL students in Appalachia?

I decided to do my project on English Language Learners (ELL) in Appalachia. Originally, I wanted to research foreign language education in Appalachian public schools, but that topic was too specific and there were no scholarly sources on the topic (or at least none that I could find). I am interested in language in Appalachia because I am a German major, and language is a big part of my college experience. I also focused on the public school system because I am thinking about becoming a teacher after graduating from Virginia Tech. I decided to make a website to display my topic because I have never made a website before, and wanted to challenge myself to create something new.

When I began this research, I had trouble finding sources on ELL specifically in Appalachia. I used Virginia Tech’s research databases to finally find books and peer-reviewed sources on ELL in Appalachia. Once I found sources pertaining to Appalachia, I was surprised to learn that ELL in Appalachia is on the rise. More immigrant students and students who do not speak English in the home are moving to Appalachia.

I learned quite a bit from my research. The majority of the sources were advocating for more ELL accommodating programs in schools. One of the sources I had found even said that a Spanish teacher was given the task of teaching Spanish-speaking students all of their courses, and the teacher felt overwhelmed and underprepared for such a task. The overall impression I got from my sources is that ELL students are just as worthy as English-speaking students and deserve to be incorporated into the classroom. Their backgrounds and cultures are rich, and fellow peers and teachers have a great deal to learn from ELL students.

Here is the link to my website: https://makenna74.wixsite.com/ell-in-appalachia

Resources:

NEAPrioritySchools. “English Language Learners: Culture, Equity and Language.” Online Video Clip. Youtube, 20 January 2012. Accessed 12 December 2017.

Cowdery, Joy R. “Immigrants in Appalachia: Educational Implications for Meeting the Needs of All Children.” International Journal of Multicultural Education, vol. 12, no. 1, 2010. Gale, doi: 10.18251/ijme.v12i1.199. Accessed 12 December 2017.

Zehler, A.M., Donovan, A., & Yin, C., 2012. “Descriptive Analyses of English Language Learner Student Enrollment Data in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.” Regional Educational Laboratory, Technical Brief REL 2012–№024. Accessed 11 December 2017.

Fisher, Stephen, and Barbara Ellen Smith. Transforming Places : Lessons from Appalachia. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012.

Hadaway, Nancy, Sylvia M. Vardell, and Terrell A. Young. Literature-Based Instruction with English Language Learners, K-12. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2002