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  2. EDU H813

Bilingual Learners: Literacy Development and Instruction
EDU H813

Course Information

Description

Designed for researchers and practitioners, this course focuses on the pressing issues related to bilingual students' language and literacy instruction, as well as policies guiding language and education at school. The term "bilingual" in this course is used to refer to students who have diverse and unequal experiences in more than one language, with a focus on those who speak or hear a language different from the societal language at home but who might receive bilingual or monolingual instruction at school. The course employs an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on sociocultural and educational theory and research to explore societal factors related to language, literacy, and academic achievement in the United States and in various international contexts. Together, we will examine questions related to the many modes of being bilingual/multilingual, the role of languages in society, and the impact of educational resources and policies on bilingual populations. The aims of this course are to investigate and understand how sociocultural contexts affect bilingual students' learning and identities, why literacy plays a crucial role in academic achievement, and which instructional implications are supported by the latest research with bilingual learners. The ultimate goal is to prepare students to contribute to the field in research-informed, yet innovative, ways. This course is intended for students who anticipate working with linguistically diverse populations as practitioners, curriculum designers, educational leaders, policymakers, or researchers.
 
 

School Graduate School of Education
Credits 4
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department Education
Course Component Regular Course
Instruction Mode In Person
Subject Education
Grading Basis HGSE Student Option (Letter Graded, Sat/Unsat)
Learning Goals - Understand multi/bilingual learners’ development as a sociocultural and cognitive process that varies across individuals affected by their multiple contexts (their families, peers, schools, countries, world) - Understand the role of home languages and literacies in multi/bilingual students’ learning and academic achievement - Apply conceptual tools to the analysis of classrooms, schools, and school systems as sociolinguistic communities to answer important questions about school structures, classroom practices, and language policies - Integrate research findings to propose evidence-based creative initiatives that promote multi/bilingual students’ voices and meaningful learning
Career Focus This course is open to students in all programs and designed for those interested in multilingual/bilingual learners. Through the discussion of cases, examples of research-based educational practices, and discussion of language-in-education policy choices in diverse contexts, students will gain an understanding of the latest research that informs classroom instruction, school/family communication, curriculum/program design, and school policy decisions relevant for our increasingly linguistically diverse societies.