Supporting Immigrant Students' Academic and Social Integration: ESL and French College Teachers' Collaboration in Promoting Cross-Linguistic Teaching of Language and Strategies

University of Toronto Press. 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M3H 5T8, Canada. Tel: 416-667-7810; Fax: 800-221-9985; Fax: 416-667-7881; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.utpjournals.press/loi/cmlr

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20

Immigrants; Social Integration; French; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Foreign Countries; Bilingualism; Action Research; Communities of Practice; Multilingualism; Teaching Methods; Metalinguistics; Learning Strategies; Transfer of Training; Advocacy; Multicultural Education; Diversity; Self Efficacy; Teacher Student Relationship; Minority Group Students; Self Concept; Cultural Awareness; Teacher Collaboration; Academic Achievement; Learner Engagement; Comparative Analysis; Teacher Attitudes; Literacy

10.3138/cmlr-2020-0001

0008-4506

This article describes a collaborative research project with four Quebec college teachers offering French and ESL classes designed to support immigrant students' bilingual learning. Using action research, a professional learning community was created that allowed the researcher and teacher participants, through cycles of planning, action, and reflection, to identify points of curricular convergence and links between the two language programs. Drawing on the perspectives of plurilingual and pluricultural competence, the teachers co-developed cross-linguistic teaching of language and strategies to promote metalinguistic awareness and strategy use for better reading and writing performance. Adhering to the Quebec ministry curricular mandates, they also adopted a shared theme of intercultural education to promote acceptance of sociocultural diversity. Results show teachers' increased self-efficacy in their support and advocacy for immigrant learners. The intercultural thematic focus also validated minoritized students' identities and fostered intercultural sensitivity among both Québécois and immigrant students. Overall, the students found the explicit teaching of transferable reading and writing strategies useful. This exploratory study points to the educational potential and importance of teachers' cross-curricular collaborations and coordination to better support immigrant students' development of full linguistic and cultural repertoire for academic and socio-emotional engagement.

As Provided

2021

EJ1284146