{"id":10377,"date":"2019-08-12T09:47:45","date_gmt":"2019-08-12T16:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cllas.uoregon.edu\/?p=10377"},"modified":"2025-08-27T17:52:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T00:52:00","slug":"bilingual-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cllas.uoregon.edu\/bilingual-children\/","title":{"rendered":"COE research helps bilingual children find classroom success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
This article appeared in Around the O<\/a><\/strong> July 29, 2019<\/em>. Researchers involved in this study include several CLLAS-affiliated faculty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n School by itself can be challenging enough for kids, but when you add in the extra hurdle of also learning English, it adds another layer of complexity to things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Children who are bright might be misclassified into remedial classes because of poor assessment practices that don\u2019t take into account their dual-language experiences. Other kids who have learning disabilities might not get identified as such and miss out on the instruction they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several College of Education<\/a> faculty members are trying to address these issues as the Spanish-speaking population continues to grow in Oregon and beyond. They\u2019re working to help schools better help these students, more quickly identify those who need additional attention, and find the best methods to teach them English while simultaneously teaching skills they\u2019ll need to succeed in and outside of the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Communication Disorders and Sciences ProgramPATOS: Ducks Advancing Traditions with Outstanding Pride<\/a>Bilingual preschoolers have better impulse control, study finds<\/a>Bilingual ed restrictions hurt California, says UO’s Umansky<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, the goal is to more seamlessly phase bilingual students into mainstream classrooms rather than marginalize them on the fringes, while also supporting the primary language spoken at their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe roots of bilingual education are that linguistic diversity is a benefit not just to an individual but also to communities, our country and society as a whole,\u201d said Ilana Umansky<\/a>, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re helping dispel myths that somehow these kids are naturally at risk,\u201d added Lillian Duran<\/a>, an associate professor in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re not. They just speak a different language, and that in itself does not make you at risk. Our educational system creates risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ilana Umansky<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When children enter a school district, parents often fill out questionnaires that ask what language is spoken at home. Any answer other than English triggers an English proficiency test. How children perform on that test could very well determine the trajectory of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what about the kids who fall just short in that test and are classified as English-language learners compared with those who just barely pass? Umansky explores the effect of labeling kids as \u201cEnglish-language learners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA lot of opportunities we offer kids are stratified based on race and English-language proficiency,\u201d Umansky said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her research explores ways to support greater equity for students, particularly for those who come from immigrant backgrounds and that have a primary language other than English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Umansky looked at thousands of kids who fell onto both sides of that tipping point. She found that kids who are classified as English-language learners do worse over time \u2014 by a small margin \u2014 than kids who just meet English requirements and move forward in regular classrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s pretty troubling,\u201d Umansky said. \u201cEnglish-learner services are supposed to help kids, not hurt them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stephanie De Anda<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stephanie De Anda<\/a> has personal experience growing up in a Spanish-speaking household. As the oldest of three children, the degree of Spanish fluency decreased with each of her two younger siblings as each was exposed to more English at a younger age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What languages kids hear from birth is a big part of De Anda\u2019s research. She studies how kids connect words in one language to words in the other and how they form those links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis has a clinical application for us because we think if we can understand how these languages interact, then maybe we can leverage that in therapy,\u201d said De Anda, an assistant professor in the Communication Disorders and Sciences Program and co-director of the Early Dual Language Development Lab. \u201cSo when these kids come to us with a delay, we can say, \u2018Oh, I can support your Spanish in hopes it will also help your English and vice versa.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a sense of urgency when it comes to supporting academic outcomes when working with kids learning English. Research shows 65 percent to 75 percent of children with early reading problems continue to read poorly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of children with reading problems, 10 percent to 15 percent drop out of high school, and 2 percent eventually complete a four-year college program. De Anda\u2019s research focuses on identifying kids with early language delays and impairments and finding interventions that work best to make them successful in school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis has always been important, but we\u2019re just starting to put resources toward it,\u201d De Anda said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lauren Cycyk<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n By 2050, one in three children are projected to be Latino, and Oregon has one of the fastest-growing Latino populations in the nation. Schools need to be ready to address their needs. That\u2019s where Lauren Cycyk\u2019s<\/a>research steps in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cycyk, an assistant professor in the Communication Disorders and Sciences Program and co-director of the Early Dual Language Development Lab with De Anda, looks at ways to incorporate and involve a student\u2019s community in the process of helping them overcome language or learning disorders prior to entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLanguage disorders are nondiscriminatory,\u201d Cycyk said. \u201cLearning disorders are nondiscriminatory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 10 percent of children have language-learning difficulties. Her work ensures that early education and special education practitioners work with them in ways that respect children\u2019s culture and language while also incorporating their family early in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor many families, their home educational systems are very different than ours in the U.S.,\u201d Cycyk said. \u201cIt\u2019s simply giving them the key to the black box: \u2018Here\u2019s how it works in our educational system, so let\u2019s think about how we can encourage your participation so your child is successful.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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