The impact of parent English as a second language classes on children's school performance and parent-school interactions

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Title The impact of parent English as a second language classes on children's school performance and parent-school interactions
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Humanities
Department Linguistics
Author Marsh, Karen
Date 2011-12
Description Increasing numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the United States (U.S.) public schools, who perform academically below their English speaking counterparts, make it necessary to examine how to best help these children succeed in school. One factor crucial to their academic success is parental support both in and out of school. For parents who do not speak English, or who are limited in their English proficiency, advocating for and supporting their children in public school can be challenging. This study examines English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for parents whose school age children attend the school where the classes are held. It investigates (1) the extent to which the parents feel these ESL classes have helped their children in school, (2) how these classes helped promote interactions between parents and school personnel, and (3) if these interactions were a result of deliberate planning on the part of the ESL teacher or as a byproduct of participation in the ESL course. Through questionnaires and interviews, this study discovered that Spanish speaking parents in one school reported both (1) improvement in their children's academic performance and their behavior in and out of school and (2) increased parental involvement in the school as a result of ESL classes in which they participated within their children's school. The ESL teachers in this study incorporated activities deliberately to build parental confidence and help parents give support to the children in school. The parents reported that they used these classroom activities as a pattern to advocate for their children in school. Parents and teachers expressed that even more help of this nature would be beneficial.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Community; Education; ESL; Linguistics; Minority; Parents; Immigrant children
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name Master of Arts
Language eng
Rights Management Copyright © Karen Marsh 2011
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 568,434 bytes
Identifier us-etd3,66965
Source original in Marriott Library Special Collections ; LC8.5 2011 .M37
ARK ark:/87278/s6mk6tnp
Setname ir_etd
ID 194655
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6mk6tnp
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