Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the collaborative practices English as a second language (ESL) teachers and classroom teachers currently use, and to formulate recommendations for enhancing these collaborative professional relationships that support the instruction of English learners (ELs). This qualitative research was conducted in Canada. It focused on the practices of four ESL teachers working at the elementary school level. The participants' collaborative practices were documented through structured interviews, observations, and analyses of the ESL teachers' lesson plans and other artifacts. The findings indicated that ESL teachers sought to collaborate with classroom teachers based on a desire to work together and their belief that a cohesive educator team is important in ESL education. However, the ESL teachers' practices were limited by a lack of training, technology, tools to facilitate collaboration, and too little time to collaborate. The result was that the ESL teachers developed only informal, surface-level collaborative relationships. Implications of the findings relating to best collaborative practices conclude the article.
Topics
ESL Programs