Negotiating Between Restrictive Language Policies and Complex Teaching Conditions: A Case Study of Arizona's Teachers of English Learners

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Author
Author
Mackinney, Erin; Rios-Aguilar, Cecilia
Journal
Bilingual Research Journal
Details
Resource Type
Journal
Acquisition Number
BE025286
Published Date
01-16-2015 2:55 PM
Published Year
2012
Number of Pages
18
Language(s)
Subscription Only
No
Abstract
This article examines how Arizona's teachers of English learners negotiate between restrictive language policies and complex teaching conditions. This case study explores how middle school teachers in an urban school district make sense of the 4-hour English language development block, Arizona's recent English-only policy. Findings indicate that teachers' implementation of language policies in their classroom is shaped by their own language-learning beliefs and teaching experience. Teachers of English learners, instead of adhering to or rejecting the ideologies or approaches mandated by the state, make accommodations concerning their students' English-language development and content-area learning.
Topics
State Programs
State and Local Policy
Secondary Education
English Learners
English Learners
Case Studies