Sharing Our Knowledge: Best Practices for Supporting English Language Learners in Schools

Reviewed by Alexis Rutt, Assistant Professor of Science Education & TESOL, University of Mary Washington on 7/29/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text does a good job of covering numerous topics related to teaching English learners (emergent bilinguals). I particularly appreciated the attention to newcomers and refugees, two important subgroups of emergent bilinguals with unique needs. One area that would warrant a chapter that is not present in the text is second language acquisition.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

For most content, this text is up-to-date and aligned with perspectives in the field on teaching emergent bilinguals (English learners). I particularly appreciated the asset-oriented focus of the chapters and the alignment to current views on translanguaging and use of students’ other languages in the classroom. The heavy reliance on BICS/CALP is somewhat dated, but is presented in a way that encourages teachers to consider the unique challenges of content area classroom language. One essay presented color-blindness as a good thing, which does not align with a culturally responsive classroom, but this was the only example I found of inaccurate information.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The chapters were written by undergraduate and graduate students from Saskatchewan, and some chapters focus deeply on that context. While much of what is written could be extrapolated to other parts of Canada or the United States, this text is most relevant for those teaching in Canada (and particularly Saskatchewan). There are also some ideas presented in the text that have become somewhat outdated since the text's original publishing date. For example, there is now some questioning in the field around the accuracy of the BICS & CALP dichotomy.

Clarity rating: 3

The essays are in general very well written and clear. However, numerous essays could benefit from some sort of heading system to break up the text into major arguments to make them easier to follow. By nature of this text being a compilation of essays for a class, there are also moments where chapters appear to be written with an assumed shared perspective that, if the reader did not participate in the class, could lead to misunderstanding or lack of clarity. For example, one essay referenced different stages of culture shock but did not explain or name what those stages were; another referenced learning objectives but did not specify what those looked like/how they were used in the classroom.

Consistency rating: 5

Given that these essays were the result of learning from the same class, there is a lot of consistency in perspectives and frameworks. In some cases, the chapters became a bit repetitive as the same ideas were highlighted, but this also makes it easier to assign chapters in isolation. However, considering how each chapter could build on, rather than reiterate at the same depth, what was presented in the prior chapters could be useful.

Modularity rating: 5

I appreciated how the text was divided into four subsections and felt that the chapters could be used in isolation or collectively to explore a variety of topics related to teaching emergent bilinguals. Because these were essays written for a class, there was a bit of self-reflection/application to ones' own practice. The extent of this self-reflection varied by essay and in some cases provided interesting examples to reinforce ideas (e.g., when authors integrated examples from their own teaching experiences).

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Overall I thought the text flowed well. Again, there was at times quite a bit of overlap across chapters that I think my students would find repetitive and unnecessary if reading the whole book (particularly within sections), but this can be helpful for using the chapters in isolation.

Interface rating: 5

Overall, the text was easy to navigate. Because these were class essays, there were few images or tables to include. In Chapter 9, the link to sketchnotes takes the readers to a health site.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

I found a few grammatical errors and typos as I read through the text, but they were never large enough to detract from the meaning of the text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

For the most part, the authors did a good job of taking an asset-oriented perspective in their chapters. At times I felt there were overgeneralizations in some chapters that presented certain groups of students as homogenous or reinforced harmful stereotypes (e.g., authors indicating that students have no parental support at home for school work, that students' diverse cultural norms limit or hinder their learning experiences, etc.). However, these statements were in the minority and provide a rich opportunity to encourage teachers to read with a critical eye.

Comments

I thought this was a clever way to compose a text, and really enjoyed hearing from a diverse group of students as they explain and dig deeper into their learning.

Reviewed by Kathryn Webb, Director of Nursing Simulation, Associate Professor, University of Saint Francis on 3/27/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The authors of this text which is a collection of essays break down the key topics and give excellent examples. The text gives a thorough and comprehensive and an excellent guide in the needed understanding of culture, family value, instruction, and assessment of
newcomers in a Western classroom.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The essays, stories, and research incorporated are excellent.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This is a much-needed topic in education today.

Clarity rating: 5

The essays give clear and concise examples of teaching effectiveness tools that can be incorporated by both experienced educators and newly enrolled college students.

Consistency rating: 5

The essays and research are consistent with the key topic of the book.

Modularity rating: 5

The text essays can be easily broken down to individual reflection and assignments.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This book of essays is excellently organized beginning with key definitions and concepts and progressing to more complex stories and teaching rigor.

Interface rating: 5

There are no interface issue within this text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were noticed by this reader.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text is informative without being culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.

Comments

This is a very important resource based on evidence-based practice research. There are specific tools within to show educators how to put theory into action.

Reviewed by Jessica Dougherty, Assistant Professor, Western Oregon University on 12/6/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text covers key topics related to the title, such as culture, family connections, instruction, assessment, newcomers, refugees, and challenges English learners face. Not only do the individual authors define key terms in their respective chapters, there is also a glossary with accurate definitions.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content infuses long standing effective and research based information in ESOL education, and integrates newer concepts as well, such as translanguaging. The information included is accurate and supported by key research in the field, with approximately 20 references after each chapter that are mostly written in the last 10-20 years.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text is incredibly relevant in the ESOL education field. It is full of information about key ESOL education topics, citing researchers who have been in the field since the 1970s, to including new topics such as translanguaging and serving refugees appropriately. It has suggestions for practitioners that can be used immediately.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in an easy-read style, using familiar jargon in ESOL education. Any specific or new terminology is defined within each chapter, and also in the glossary. Practitioners should find this book incredibly accessible and applicable.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is well aligned across chapters and very consistent in terms, topics, and framework. While there is some repetition it does not detract from the content focus. The chapters are all written by different authors, but the topics weave through appropriately to allow for flow in reading.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is composed of chapters by different authors. Each chapter can potentially stand alone, as they all have specific focus topics. Each section can also be pulled out if an instructor was wanting to use multiple chapters on one topic. The book has appropriate titles, subheadings etc, to make it easy to identify sections to use for specific units in a course.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The text is well organized even though each chapter is written by a different author. The chapters offer a review of topics in other chapters, but also add on new information based on the given focus for that chapter. Each chapter could stand alone to align with course topics, or the entire text can be used as there are many relevant topics that can be broken up over time.

Interface rating: 4

This text is easy to use and free of issues. There is only one visual though in chapter nine, otherwise the text does not include tables, figures, lists etc.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammar is error free, which allows for flow of reading and comprehension.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The information in this text can be used and applied universally to all language learners. The authors reference many countries and cultures, such as Canada, China, and the Middle East.

Comments

I can see portions of this text fitting into multiple courses on ESOL education.

Reviewed by Mo Wenjuan, Instructor, West Virginia University on 5/3/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

First of all, the author picks an excellent title to catch other people’s eyes. Currently, I am an instructor of the C&I 311 ELL and Language Acquisition for Elementary Teachers course at the School of Education, West Virginia University. There are limited books about English language learners. I also like that the author collaborates with graduate and undergraduate students and puts their joint efforts into an open book, which sets an example for us to follow in their footsteps. The author develops four themes in this book, but I do not see some connections between them. The book would benefit from adding collaborative teaching and some practical examples of supporting English language learners. Overall, it is a good book for preservice teachers, school educators, and others who work with K-12 students.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content is accurate in this book. I have not found any errors so far.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is more relevant to the schools in Canada, there might be slightly different situations in America and other countries. Additionally, it was published in 2019, some online instruction strategies may be changed after the COVID pandemic.

Clarity rating: 4

The authors convey concepts in a clear manner. I suggest the essays could add subtitles for readers to capture the outline easily.

Consistency rating: 4

One thing I noticed is the consistency. The title is about English language learners, but in the article, a similar acronym EAL ( English as an additional language), is used. I mean, they both refer to similar groups of students. However, EAL may be an unfamiliar term for readers outside of Canada.

Modularity rating: 5

The layout of subheadings in each part is in clear manner. Each individual section is easy to take out as a separate part. Then it can be reused or reorganized for other purposes.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

This book is well organized. Each essay ties the theme of the chapter. The content in each chapter flows well.

Interface rating: 5

The book is easy to follow and access-friendly.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

In general, the book is well written. I read through it and have not found any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I appreciate the author cooperating with graduate and undergraduate students and combining their various perspectives into an open book, which sets an excellent example for other instructors to teach courses while doing research simultaneously. I like this kind of model to put theory into practice. Thus, a multicultural perspective can be achieved.

Comments

I am glad the author picks up an eye-catching title for this book and sets a cooperative model between instructors and their students. I suggest this book could talk more about collaborative teaching with English language learners.

Reviewed by Pam Myette, Assistant Professor Department of Special Education, Bridgewater State University on 12/2/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a book of seventeen essays by Canadian professionals in the field of teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL) during a course for practicing teachers who are working toward a Post-Degree Certificate in EAL at the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. This post -degree program is recognized by provincial education authorities as being equivalent to one full year of post-degree study. As such, the certificate equips teachers with the knowledge and expertise to be considered teacher-specialists of EAL Education. This field of EAL Education is what we call Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) in the United States. This book of seventeen essays has a variety of topics including philosophical, pedagogical ideas including actual strategies for the classroom and assessments; and issues in the field like the differences between EAL learners and students with disabilities and trauma in students; as well as resources. The philosophical topics included essays on the Impact of Culture, Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT), Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, and Intercultural Competence and the Inclusive Classrooms. The pedagogical topics covered instructional strategies: Supporting EAL Learners at various stages of Common Framework of Reference (a language scale); the importance of consistent assessment practices; the power of visual notetaking; how to integrate newcomers; and strategies for supporting newcomers in the first week; and the needs of CAL students as presented from a parent. The articles about issues in the field covered the disproportionate number of ELL in special education, distinguishing between a language acquisition challenge and a disability, the role of settlement workers in the community and in schools, and trauma's impact on learners. There was an article on resource sites from the Canadian government, the Saskatchewan government, school systems and literature in the field. At the end of the book the writers provide a glossary of all the cultural, linguistic, pedagogical terms.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The essays in this book were based on the experiences of Canadian teachers, so I cannot verify the practices of their work in Saskatchewan, as a teacher educator, I can verify their explanations of the philosophy and pedagogy for teaching English to students with a second language. Their references for educational research and strategies were all sound.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

As the newcomer populations in Canada and the US are expanding daily with families and children coming from so many different cultures, teachers in both countries need to understand the impact. They also need strategies for collaborating with parents, helping children adjust, assessing their skills, and teaching them. Teachers need to know their own biases and to learn about the variety of cultures coming into their inclusive classroom. Teachers also need to learn how to use incorporate the cultures into their curriculum to enrich the classroom and make the newcomers feel welcome. As EAL/ESL progress, teachers need to be on the lookout students who may not be succeeding due to any disabilities. Finally, teachers have to be aware of the fact that many of the children may have suffered trauma and how to get support for these students.

Clarity rating: 5

Each of the essays were written for a certification class and then reviewed by a panel of professors. Finally, they were edited for the final version of the book. The writing in each essay flows well and clearly makes each author's point.

Consistency rating: 5

These essays were written as an assignment for a course of teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL). The authors are all in the same field of teaching English to students who are from other countries and cultures. The professor in the course was stressing the terminology and the teachers themselves know the concepts from their past courses and their experiences in the field.

Modularity rating: 3

The book has 17 essays on a variety of topics. They could have been divided up into sections- philosophy, pedagogy, critical issues, and resources. Although the titles let you see what kind of topic they fit into, it would have been helpful for readers to turn to the different sections for the various overall subject.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

As stated above, the essays could have been grouped in three or four sections to let the reader know where to look for essays on philosophy, pedagogy, critical issue, and resources. These headings could have been placed in the table of content to aid the reader.

Interface rating: 1

Not applicable. There were no images or charts, so this is not relevant to this text

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were not grammatical errors in the essays. They were reviewed by a panel of professors and then edited by the publisher.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book is all about cultural sensitivity to the diverse cultures coming into Canadian schools. They are stressing the need for culturally responsive teaching. Although this book is based on Canadian cultural issues in the teaching of EAL, known as ESL in the US. all of the philosophical and pedagogical information is applicable to the US as well.

Comments

This book would be a great supplementary text. It has real professionals writing about current issues in second language instruction. It might be a good model for professors teaching the issues of second language teaching to use as assignment for their students.

Reviewed by Tatiana Sildus, Professor, Pittsburg State University on 5/7/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text is a collection of final paper essays prepared by mostly graduate and some undergraduate students enrolled in an online course as part a post-degree certificate offered by the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. As noted in the introduction, readers should keep in mind that the essays are the work of student authors and not academic experts. The book looks at several aspects of educating linguistically and culturally diverse students, with a special focus on newcomers and refugees. The glossary is included. The book would benefit from adding information on the stages of second language acquisition and on the specifics of assisting learners at each stage regardless of their status.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Overall, the content is accurate. Modifications are suggested to the definition of EAL in the Glossary to make a clear distinction between referring to a student (learner) and a subject (English as an Additional Language). Also, while the content of the book deals with “school students”, the definition of an EAL learner itself is broader in scope and includes learners of other age categories.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

It is understandable that educators need to be aware of local and regional resources to assist their students. Part 3 on settlement and refugees focuses on resources offered mainly in Canada and the Saskatchewan region, making the information especially relevant to Canadian teachers. While the support and resources vary from country to country, the chapter provides a reminder for educators in other parts of the world to research and utilize options available to them.

Clarity rating: 4

The ideas and concepts in this text are presented in a clear manner. The details and examples contribute to the overall comprehension without overwhelming the reader. Since the term “English Language Learners” is used in the book title itself, and some essays also use another term, the book would benefit from a brief explanation (perhaps in the introduction section) noting that the terms ELLs and EAL learners will be used interchangeably in the context of this book. This would make it especially relevant to readers in other countries.

Consistency rating: 4

The term EAL (English as an Additional Language) learner is used in most of the book, and its meaning is included and explained in the Glossary as “a term used in Saskatchewan and in other parts of the world”. However, essays 14 and 16 use the term ELL (English Language Learner), most commonly used in the US and some parts of the world. Adding the term ELL to the Glossary with a short explanation would be helpful for readers, especially for pre-service teachers.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is presented in sections of reasonable length. Portions of the text could be assigned in any combination. This provides flexibility for instructors and allow professors to rearrange the sections as needed.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The presentation of topics in the text is logical. Dividing occasional long paragraphs into smaller paragraphs would make the information easier to follow and more reader-friendly.

Interface rating: 5

Several formats (online, PDF, e-book) are available to the reader. The book is very easy to navigate. The user-friendly interface makes the book conveniently accessible.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

Overall, the writing is of good quality, without grammatical errors. The text follows the standard conventions. Essay 1 in Part 1 of the book would benefit from additional editing.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The contributors come from diverse backgrounds. The essays contain culturally relevant examples that would be especially beneficial for pre-service teachers. The insights from the field will help undergraduate students connect theory to reality.

Reviewed by Lynmara Colón, Adjunct Professor, University of Mary Washington on 7/5/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The text is comprehensive and addresses much needed topics for Els. A collection of essays supported by research and stories, make up a great resource for those seeking to understand and support students learning English. The focus in on Newcomers and Refugees in Canada; however, these strategies can apply to classrooms in other countries.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is error-free

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Content is relevant to the needs of today’s learners. One observation is the use of assessment to identify students’ language proficiency. Some of these tools might change as a result of COVID-19, impacting some of the strategies provided in the book. One example is the section on opening schools and creating inclusive environments. This might look different in an online platform.

Clarity rating: 5

The concepts and language used throughout the book are clear for readers. However, one needs to get familiar with some of the terminology used in Canada (provided at the beginning) in order to make connections to tools used in the United States.

Consistency rating: 5

While there are many essays included the book is consistent in the use of terminology and values around Els. One can follow the theme, assessment tools, and instructional strategies as the work progresses.

Modularity rating: 4

This textbook is divided into section with big ideas; broken down into subheadings. These can be used as one explore specific topics around for Els learn and the importance of inclusive environments, teaching strategies, etc. One can break apart topics for a class or use the entire book as focus.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The text is organized in a way where one can follow the needs of Els and how they can be supported throughout the year. From the beginning of the school year to their growth as it relates to language acquisition, the book presents a nice flow for readers. Additionally, one can select certain section (which are clearly label) to explore more about particular topics as well.

Interface rating: 5

The text can be read online or PDF, giving users a choice of platform. This can be convenient as some can gain access off-line, making annotations and highlight content.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were no grammatical errors found.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Text provides strategies and support for those serving Els on how to be intentional about culturally responsive pedagogy. There are examples around creating inclusive environments, the beginning of school, and ways one can become more culturally competent. All of these supported by research and modules.

Comments

A great resource for a college class or those seeking to add strategies to their instructional toolkit.

Reviewed by Matthew Edinger, Associate Professor, North Shore Community College on 6/30/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The book examines specific EAL issues from multiple perspectives on a level appropriate for undergraduate education and education studies students. This book reminds readers that English Language Learners are no longer missing from educational radar, and resources like this book are needed to ensure our preservice teachers have background knowledge and potential strategies and solutions for our culturally and linguistically special populations of students. The book also offers an effective index glossary for use by the reader and undergraduate learners.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

This book is important in that it creates a case study of specific and timely issues schools in Saskatchewan are and have been facing. Other schools and districts in and out of Canada can thoroughly examine certain papers, take note of relevant facts, and outline key problems. These problems can be compared to the readers’ local issues, and possible solutions and/or changes delineated within the chapter can be discussed in higher education classes and supported by undergraduate-led outside research and experiences. These generated best solutions and changes can be selected and presented to the by groups of undergraduates.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The growing population and influx of immigrant and refugee students becomes more relevant to preservice teachers each year, and the book reflects these changes. EAL populations of students have academic and social/emotional needs that educators must be aware of and can review strategies and solutions found within the book. Additionally, as discussed in this book, new-to-the-field educators must be prepared for the reality of vicarious trauma and ELLs in special education classrooms.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written in a way that undergraduates can easily understand during their first read and can pursue their own learning by researching the resources named in the book. One of the values of this book is the experience level of the authors that is revealed in their writing. The authors' teaching experience is reflected in the writing, showing what they believe is important for colleagues to know. The authors' text does not get swamped by mounds of research from the field but by strategies that the authors would try in their own classroom.

Consistency rating: 2

The book could benefit by a consistent framework for its papers. The use of the word Conclusion at the end of each section could allow undergraduate students to begin their reading activity by reading the conclusions of the chapter before they read. The book would also benefit from the authors using the same style of writing within their papers.

Modularity rating: 4

The Contents pages of the book show how appropriate subunits are displayed within, potentially funneled to a specific population of EAL students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

Paper topics within this book are presented in a logical manner. The papers are arranged to begin with support for EALs through the classroom environment and culture before focusing on students from a specific EAL population.

Interface rating: 5

There were no distractions outside of the text, and I did like that some authors offered a Conclusion at the end of their papers. I have met many undergraduate readers that like to read a resource’s Abstract first and Conclusion second before moving on to the reading and understanding of the body of a text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The book appears to have been edited more than once from more than one perspective. As a previous teacher of English, I did not notice writing issues that normally tend to leap off of the page as I read.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book shines most when it comes to its discussion, understanding, and strategies for culture within educational environments. Families, teachers and students are discussed in a way that a wonderful mentor teacher would discuss what she found to be valuable in her classroom with her new inservice mentee teacher. Solid strategies for the inclusion of culture, that will benefit all readers, are offered in many papers throughout the book.

Comments

The authors in this text seem to have a collegial conversation with pre-service educators instead of speaking from the ‘ivory tower’ (for example, too much research or educational buzzwords or acronyms). I also noticed that many authors use specific examples of strategies that support their writing: this is good writing. Another comment is that students in the US should be asked to search for and find primary and secondary sources that accompany the book's topics with similarities and differences between the neighboring countries and EAL students. Finally, the papers use multiple, appropriate connections to mostly current articles and Internet support.

Reviewed by Lydia Sollenberger, Graduate Student, University of Colorado Boulder on 6/11/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

While the text does cover many of the key aspects to best practices for English Language Learners in schools in Canada, I would argue that the texts focus mainly on ELLs that are newcomers and refugees and not on other identities of ELLs in schools that are not newcomers nor refugees. Students that are considered to be English learners by schools are sometimes born in English speaking countries. Some students are considered transnational and spend time in both the English speaking country and their/their family’s country of origin. And some students who are native to the land have suffered colonization and denied their language practices. The “best practices” for these students would differ greatly than the newcomer students. Although there movement to best support the newcomers in Canada’s schools, I am sure that those are not the only ELLs that need support from their teachers. The book does have an effective glossary which would need further adaptation for acronyms that are used in different country contexts.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

All content seemed to be accurate but I felt that some essays contained deficit language about immigrants and refugees being a “challenge,” implying that they are the ones that need to be saved and assimilated. Although this was not the main or emphasized message in any of the essays I feel that students reading these texts should discuss the language used to describe challenges that immigrants have when entering a country's school system.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The content is mostly up-to-date. There were some essays that relied heavily on the work of Cummins BICS and CALP which, although important to remember, could have been accompanied with more recent scholarship. All essays contained a small personal position statement that could date the work, but I believe was necessary for the comprehensiveness of the essay and powerful for teachers to read the work of other teachers.

Clarity rating: 5

Despite being written about Canada’s context the text was undeniably clear. Very accessible for any reader. One of the essays included a visual which would have been nice throughout.

Consistency rating: 5

There was consistency in terminology and framework. Reading the entire text had too much repetition of Canada’s context. This repetition is nice to consider for instructors that wish to use only particular chapters of the text.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is divisible in smaller reading sections. Most essays are short or divided by subheading.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are presented in a logical order building on each other from the most basic understandings to the more complex.

Interface rating: 5

No interface issue, navigation problems, distortion of images/charts or other features of distraction.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There are no grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

They are very clear when presenting examples of refugees in classroom settings that each individual case is different and must be treated as such. Generalizations are not made.

Reviewed by Gia Renaud, Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University on 5/31/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text is a compilation of essay from Canadian graduate students. It is broken into 4 sections. The sections cover welcoming environment, classroom supports and strategies, refugee supports and special learning challenges.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I found the information to be accurate and informative. Essays were easy to read and had wonderful suggestions for classroom teachers.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content of this book was up to date with practices for teaching English Learners. The last section has information about working with students who have experienced trauma which is particularly important in today's society.

Clarity rating: 4

My only suggest would be to have tables or graphics. Visuals are helpful for all learners!

Consistency rating: 5

The essays were consistently well written. Research was relevant and timely.

Modularity rating: 5

It would be very easy to assign one essay at a time depending on the topic that was being covered. I would even suggest looking at the sections and asking students to choose one essay in a particular section that interests them. This text is the perfect supplement to any course about teaching English Learners.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Organization is clear and easy to follow.

Interface rating: 5

I utilized the PDF version and found it easy to navigate.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not see any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This text is filled with culturally responsive pedagogy.

Comments

I found the text enjoyable to read. I like how it was organized. Essays are easily accessible and can be read together or in isolation.

Reviewed by Brenda-Jean Tyler, Associate Professor, Radford University on 2/12/20

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book presents a collection of papers addressing a range of factors that arise in teaching and working successfully with English as an Additional Language students written by students enrolled in a post-degree certificate program in EAL education, several of whom have first-hand knowledge of the EAL experience and/or immigrant experience in Canada. The papers are organized into four sections, beginning with a set of papers addressing how to provide a welcoming, inviting, and inclusive environment for EAL learners, followed by a set of papers focused on providing classroom support (e.g., effective instructional strategies, note-taking, and assessment practices), a group of papers focused on supporting newcomer and refugee EALs, and wrapping up with a few articles addressing the intersection of EALs and disability.
The perspective toward EALs conveyed throughout the book is positive and strengths-based.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The claims made in the articles are based on the professional literatures and the authors appropriately and frequently cite their sources.
In terms of error-free, there was only one place where I felt myself drawing back at a claim. The first article included the following statement: "Increasing teacher
diversity can promote a “color-blind approach to instruction” (Sobel
& Taylor, 2011, p. 18) and help in reducing prevalent cultural biases
and misperceptions" (p. 40). This statement was in the context of a discussion of the benefits of increasing teacher diversity. While I fully agree with the need for more teachers of color, I object to presenting a "color-blind approach" to teaching as something to aim for. I understand the author's point was that if a teacher is of the same ethnic group as his or her students, we might hope/expect that there would be less prejudice and more positive expectations for the children. Unfortunately, research shows that teachers of color have often absorbed the same negative perspectives and prejudices towards children of color operating in the society at large. We cannot assume that providing students of color with a teacher from the same background will result in higher achievement.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The articles were all written very recently and cite current sources. The claims made reflect best accepted practice at the time of publication. The articles were written as a means for students to demonstrate their learning and growth in the course, and informative as the articles are, the book does not serve the purposes of a more typical textbook.

Given that these are papers reflecting students' own learning and growth in the course, I do not see how "updates" could be made, since next year's students would have a different learning experience. This is not a drawback, since next year's students could contribute to a new book that would likely be just as engaging.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is written by students in a Certificate program, and not by academics/researchers. As such, the writing is fully accessible to college-aged readers.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is internally consistent. In fact, the articles included referenced many of the same texts/sources. This is to be expected in a text of this sort, where students have been assigned the same set of readings. Luckily, some of the authors branched out to include other authors; I would like to recommend that to increase breadth of perspective (and enlarge students' knowledge base), the professor should probably require students to use at least as many resources that were NOT assigned as the ones that were assigned reading when gathering information for their papers. This would make for less overlap, perhaps.

Modularity rating: 5

The 17 papers are organized into four sections, beginning with a set of papers addressing how to provide a welcoming, inviting, and inclusive environment for EAL learners, followed by a set of papers focused on providing classroom support (e.g., effective instructional strategies, note-taking, and assessment practices), a group of papers focused on meeting the needs of refugee EALs, and the book wraps up with a few articles addressing the intersection of EALs and disability, including articles addressing the challenges of distinguishing between problems related to the language learning process and those of a learning disability and the risk of over-identifying EALs for special education services when teachers and other school-based personnel do not have a good understanding of how language and cultural differences may impact learning and behavior in school.
The teacher could easily assign two or three articles that address specific topics of interest.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are presented in a clear, logical progression, starting with articles on how to welcome an EAL and make sure he or she feels welcome in the classroom community, then several articles on different instructional practices that are effective for EALs, followed by a set of readings on addressing EALs who are newcomers/refugees.

Interface rating: 5

The text is easy to navigate, pictures appear correctly, and hotlinks work.
Please note: I found this prompt confusing because I wasn't sure if "High" meant "Strongly Agree" with the above statement, or if it meant there were a high number of interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There were very few grammatical errors, and the writing did not distract from the message.
Please note: I also found this prompt confusing because I wasn't sure if "High" meant "Strongly Agree" with the above statement, or if it meant there were a high number of errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The textbook focuses on cultural diversity, and so is very strong in this area. Students and families from diverse cultures are presented in a very positive light, and the message throughout the book is that teachers need to learn how to make students from diverse cultures welcome, how to provide effective instruction for these students, and how to meet the needs of EALs who are refugees as well as those who have experienced trauma in order for these students to meet their full potential.

Comments

I truly enjoyed reading the articles and learned something as well. Several authors incorporated some of their own stories/ experiences as they explored connections to and learning related to their chosen topic. The diversity present among the authors, coupled with the very accessible writing, made for very enjoyable reading.