TE 892 (FA20) Dual Learner Case Study 

Overview 
The purpose of the Dual Learner Case Study is twofold. When you complete Part 1, you will first center the voices and experiences of two learners who qualify (or previously qualified) for English 
language services; more specifically, you will learn more about their i​ dentities, families and communities, backgrounds, experiences and language repertoires a​ s humans​ first and foremost​. When 
you complete Part 2, you will continue to investigate their language repertoires as well as their academic achievement by conducting more formal language diagnostic assessments in addition to 
collecting and comparing other progress monitoring data (i.e., f​ormative, interim, summative, and standardized assessment results​). Through analysis of the data you compile for Parts 1-2, you will 
make specific recommendations regarding the following: a) the learners’ language development placements, (b) goals for language instruction and academic achievement, and (c) assessment. With 
respect to your development as an ESL-trained educator, the Dual Learner Case Study (Parts 1-2) is meant to assess your achievement of the following standards: 

● Additive Value of Multilingualism: ​Demonstrate knowledge of the additive value that multilingualism brings to the overall success of all students and an understanding of the teacher’s role as 
an advocate with students, colleagues, and members of the community in promoting and developing multilingualism (3a).* 

● Language Proficiency Instruments: D

​ emonstrate knowledge and use of various standards-based language proficiency instruments to inform instruction and the value of data for identification, 
placement, and demonstration of language proficiency and academic achievement of English Learners (4a).* 

● Language Proficiency vs. Standardized Assessments: D ​ emonstrate knowledge of the difference between language proficiency testing and other types of assessment (e.g., standardized 
achievement tests of overall mastery) as they affect English Learners (5a).* 

● Assessment Accommodations: ​Demonstrate knowledge and use of a variety of assessment accommodations appropriate to the needs of English Learners (6a).* 

● Effective and Timely Assessments: ​Demonstrate knowledge and use of effective and timely assessment practices including: analysis of formative, interim and summative assessment results, 
and use of outcome data to inform instruction and to interpret and communicate student achievement results to all stakeholders (7a).* 

   
Part 1: ​Amplifying Learners’ Identities and Resources 
Throughout Chapter 1 of E​ n Comunidad, C
​ arla and Luz share their personal stories as they introduce six practices to center the voices and experiences of bilingual Latinx learners​. These vignettes 
provide us with a multifaceted account of t​ heir ​identities, families and communities, backgrounds, experiences and language repertoires w
​ ithout ​centering English or school-based practices. We 
learn who they are as humans first and foremost.  

Similar to their stories, the goal of Part 1 of this project is to c​ reate multifaceted narrative accounts of two learners and their i​ dentities, families and communities, backgrounds, experiences and 
language repertoire​. To begin, you will conduct short interviews with both learners, one of their family members, and one of their teachers. (You could respond to the interview questions yourself if 
you are their teacher.). The purpose will be to compose a short narrative for both learners that synthesizes what you gather across all three interviews. 

To do so, you will first develop interview questions and include them along with the interviewee’s responses below. (You can draw upon the interview questions we brainstormed in Module 3; you 
might also find it helpful to revisit the prompts you responded to for your Language Portrait and Autobiography.) You will then conduct your interviews. Be creative and strategic in h​ ow y​ ou gather 
this information.  

● You may need to create opportunities for the interviewees to share their answers visually (through drawing or pictures) or using a language other than English. (For instance, you could ask the 
learner to create a Language Portrait similar to what you did in Module 1.)  
● You could recruit another student, sibling or staff member to serve as an interpreter if you are conducting the interview orally. (Be conscientious about the power dynamics inherent in this 
choice; for instance, having a child interpret for their parent is not recommended.)  
● You could also conduct the interview via email or text. In that case, you may also find it helpful to use Google Translate or​ ​Talking Points​; you could also try out this​ t​ ip​ to translate an entire 
Google Doc with the click of a button. (That said, you must also be considerate of whether the individual is literate in their primary language and if there are translation resources for that 
language.) 

Following your interviews, you will compose a 400-500 word narrative portrait for each learner that synthesizes what you learned about the t​ heir i​ dentities, families and communities, backgrounds, 
experiences and language repertoires​. Your narrative should draw upon all three interviews for each learner. Be sure to strategically use language that conveys an additive perspective of the 
learner’s multilingualism. (You can think of Luz and Carla’s accounts in E​ n Comunidad a​ s a mentor text or model.)​ In the final section of this project, you will reflect upon their narrative portraits and 
consider their implications for teaching and learning. 

   
Learner #1: Micah S. 

Learner Interview  Family Interview  Teacher Interview 

Question: D ​ o you enjoy school/ feel that it is important?  Question: W ​ hat language is spoken most at home? Is Micah  Question: Does Micah ever speak in a different language in a 
Answer:​Yes. Yes.   able to read and write in Samoan? Do you wish that Samoan  school setting? Words or utterances? 
  was spoken or taught more in school to help Micah’s learning?  Answer: No. I have only ever heard him speaking English. 
Question: What is your favorite part about school?    Answer: F​ irst language is english from when he was born.   
Answer: Math recess and lunch.  Grandparents speak samoan to the boys but they only answer  Question: Do you believe that multilingualism is positive or 
  in english. Speak in samoan and respond by actions. No  negative? 
Question: H ​ ow do you feel about learning and speaking  speaking. Can write one vowel or short short words.   Answer: I think it is a positive. I explained to both children that 
English?  I would rather him learn proper english in school. Grandparents  they are doing something that not all kids are learning to do and 
Answer: ​I want to try my best and work hard. No problems with  can help him to learn samoan. Especially his grammar so he  that it is awesome and that they should keep learning. That it 
english.  can make sense.  will make learning other languages easier in the future and 
    adds to their ability to communicate. 
Question: D ​ o you feel like it would be a good thing or a bad  Question: W ​ hat is Micah’s educational journey?   
thing to learn/hear or speak samoan in school?  Answer: B​orn and raised here. They both attended Headstart  Question: What connection do you see between students who 
Answer: N ​ o Samoan only English. I won't understand samoan.  preschool at August Ahrens. No other school.   are not Fully English Proficient (FEP) and their performance on 
  ELA standards based assessments? 
  Answer: I do see a connection. The less proficient a student is 
Question: Who is able to help with communication and  in English, the lower they usually score on standards based 
homework in the family?  assessments without accommodations and scaffolding. 
Answer: M ​ y son and his wife (Micah’s uncle and aunty), helps 
with homework. She is a sunday school teacher. Sometimes 
needs ”disciplining” from son because boys don't listen to 
others. It is hard because they (Micah and twin brother) don’t 
listen. 
 

Narrative Portrait 
 Micah is a seven year old student at August Ahrens Elementary. He was born and raised on Oahu and attended preschool through the head start program at his current elementary school. The 
first language he began speaking from birth was English. He hears Samoan at home but is still not able to produce the language. He responds to directions or replies to someone talking to him in 
Samoan with English. His grandparents, uncles and maybe even church family are who help to teach him the language. He is able to write very short words that have one or two sounds in them 
but does not do this very often.  

The teacher communicates with Micah’s grandmother and occasionally the grandfather, since they are his guardians. School is important to them, but the grandmother has mentioned in previous 
conversations that family is number one and school is second. She feels like it is a break from the student since she has difficulty with him listening and with doing his distance learning work. She 
has had difficulties with the technology in the past. 

Both Micah and his grandmother expressed that they feel school is important and that he should try his best. The grandmother sees school as a place where Micah can learn “proper” English and 
where he can improve his grammar. When discussing the option of speaking or listening to more Samoan in school, she seemed against the idea and preferred that it was something he learned at 
home. Although she wasn’t opposed to him being introduced to other languages if that was part of the curriculum. She recalled learning Hawaiian in high school, though she did not remember 
much, she felt open to the idea of him being exposed to other languages. 

Micah enjoys school, and loves math, recess and lunch. He feels like he has no troubles with English and that it would be a bad thing if more Samoan were introduced at school. Almost like there 
would be more pressure if he didn’t know everything. He said no Samoan, only English because he fears he wouldn't be able to understand. 

His teacher has only ever heard him speak English and would support opportunities to demonstrate or use multilingualism to support Micah’s content learning. Though Micah identifies as an 
English speaker since this is what he has spoken since birth. But he doesn’t positively acknowledge what he knows in Samoan which helps him to understand his family and community members. 
All of his immediate family members are able to speak English, but choose to speak in Samoan to support and teach him. 

Learner #2: Anna M. 

Learner Interview  Family Interview  Teacher Interview 

Question: D ​ o you enjoy school/ feel that it is important?  Question: W ​ hat language is spoken most at home? Is Anna  Question: H​ ow can you better support the development or 
Answer: M ​ mmhmm. Mmhmm yes Ms. V  able to read and write in Ilocano?  incorporation of learning in both languages at home or in 
  Answer: I​ locano. She understands ilocano but she cannot talk.  school? 
Question: H ​ ow do you feel about learning and speaking  She can speak just words and phrases, if she cannot  Answer: I can have opportunities for learning or listening to 
English?  understand, then we talk English. No writing in ilocano.  Ilocano in school. Like a video with subtitles. But ultimately, it 
Answer: Good     is up to the parent and what would be best for the student to 
  Question: D ​ o you wish that Ilocano was spoken or taught more  show what they know. 
Question: W ​ ould you feel comfortable speaking/writing your  in school to help Anna’s learning?   
home language in school?  Answer: I​ wish for all english because she cannot understand  Question: What are some ways to help students who speak 
Answer: I​ don’t know that much. Just some words. I would feel  all ilocano. Her first language when born was English. Only a  different languages other than the one you speak? 
a little bit afraid. I just want to learn it at home.  little bit of Illocano at the house.  Answer: Allow them to use their L1 when comfortable and use 
   a translator on a computer or ipad. You can also utilize 
Question: W ​ hat is Anna’s educational journey?  pictures, videos and the help of other students to help with 
Answer: S ​ he was born here in Hawaii. From 5 years old at  conceptual understanding and translating. It also shows to 
AAES for kindergarten.  students that using their L1 to understand something in English 
  is not a bad thing. 
Question: W ​ ho can help with homework and communication at   
home? Do you ever have difficulty?  Question: Do you think students should be able to communicate 
Answer: Mom is the main helper for homework and  (read, write or speak) in their L1?  
communication, dad is at work every day. Sometimes she likes  Answer: Yes. I think I have less of a fear now of me needing to 
to do it by herself. She doesn’t want help sometimes and mom  provide all of the answers or understand each word the student 
doesnt get to check. She wants to do homework by herself.  says. There are tools and it will help the child to make 
Not many problems with communication.  connections. Though I think that this would probably be most 
  helpful for people who have newly moved to and English 
  speaking country, or who have not spent a long time with the 
language. Versus a student like Anna who has spoken English 
from birth and has been surrounded by it in her environment. 
She doesn't think in Illocano and translates it to English, she 
thinks in English. 

Narrative Portrait 
 Anna is a seven year old student at August Ahrens Elementary. She was born and raised on Oahu and visits the Philippines for family trips. Her first school experience was in Kindergarten at her 
current school. Her first language after she was born was English. She only hears some Ilocano at home. Her mom says that they will speak to her to teach her the language, but if she doesn’t 
understand what they are saying in Ilocano, then they talk to her in English. She is able to say words and phrases or respond in Ilocano but has not yet developed or practiced writing in Ilocano.   

The teacher communicates with Anna’s mom most. Her mom is able to read, write and speak English without an interpreter. Both Anna and her mom expressed that school is important to them. 
Anna’s mom reminds her to be respectful and try her best. Her mom wants to be involved with her learning and tries to check each assignment before it is turned in, but sometimes Anna would 
rather do it on her own. Anna’s teacher mentioned that she gets anxious when reading or speaking in front of others in class. Anna also mentioned that she would be afraid of learning or hearing 
more Ilocano at school because she fears that she wouldn’t understand. She said “I don’t know that much” and that she just wants to learn Ilocano at home. Her mom expressed something similar 
stating that she should just learn English at school because she will not understand Ilocano and only hears a little bit at home. The teacher on the other hand is open to the idea of the student 
learning or making connections with words that she may already know in Ilocano. 

Anna’s mom is the main support at home since the dad is often working. She said she has not experienced many problems with communication. She is heavily involved in Anna’s school work and 
helps her to complete most of her assignments during this distance learning. 

Reflection 
The ​purpose​ of Part 1 is for you to, “demonstrate knowledge of the additive value that multilingualism brings to the overall success of all students and an understanding of the teacher’s role as an 
advocate with students, colleagues, and members of the community in promoting and developing multilingualism” (Standard 3). To do so, reflect upon your engagement in this project and respond to 
the following questions, either individually or as a part of a collective response. Finally, be sure to make explicit r​ eference to course readings from Module 1-4​ along with examples from your 
interviews/portraits as evidence to substantiate a​ ny and all​ of your claims. 

1. What additive value does multilingualism bring to the overall success of your two focal students within and beyond school? 
2. What additive value can multilingualism bring to the overall success of students who are n​ ot ​classified as English learners within and beyond school? (In other words, how can interacting with 
multilingual learners support the overall success of monolingual English-speaking students?) 
3. Look across your answers to Question 1 and 2 above. What do you now understand about the teacher’s role as an advocate with (A) students, (B) colleagues, and (C) members of the 
community in promoting and developing multilingualism? (Be sure to attend to each A, B, and C.)  

In both cases, I as the teacher was surprised by the story that unfolded in front of me. I had thought that since another language was spoken at home and that the child was a NEP or LEP student, 
that English was their second language, but this wasn’t the case in either scenario. I went into the assignment trying to picture my students histories and educational journeys and to accept their rich 
experiences which led them to our school. But their journey was very similar to those of any student born and raised in Hawaii. I then started to consider the other factors which may play into the 
students success or struggles in the academic setting and what may have contributed to this. Neither child perceives their L2 as their L1. Each of them identifies with English as their first and native 
language and acknowledge difficult speaking or understanding their L2. 

So as a teacher, I need to consider what would be most beneficial in validating their language identities, praising their ability to communicate in another language and motivate them to expand their 
vocabulary. 

I can see how both students benefit from multilingualism beyond school because they are able to communicate with others within their local community. Within school, the students have not yet had 
an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge or share what they know to help out a peer or to bridge learning. Would students' confidence in their L2 go up if they were exposed to it in school? Is it 
the teachers place to force this exposure if parents are not for the multilingual education of their native language in the school setting? Both of my student’s parents/guardians expressed that they 
felt that the student should only learn English at school. When I wrote this question, I intended to see if the parent thought that this would be helpful for their child’s learning and understanding. I did 
not expect opposition. 

In general, multilingualism can add to all students learning. Just as I expressed in my language autobiography, I think my learning little words and phrases before traveling to a new country helped 
me to learn and value other cultures as well as respect their language. Starting this young helped me to not be afraid to try and speak even if I was not fluent. If I could create a perfect environment 
free from judgement, I would instill this in my young students. Unfortunately, some of my students are already falling victim to pressures of not feeling that their language acquisition is adequate 
enough yet. Both students expressed fear of not understanding and fear of not being able to communicate. A positive classroom of multilingualism should not build fear, but rather confidence and 
courage to share a part of yourself or a part of yourself that is learning a new language. It could also present multiple cultures in the classroom so students see themselves present. Anna for 
example speaks a Filipino language (Ilocano) but I also have many other students who may hear this language or other Filippino dialects at home and associate with this culture. 

Each year I do a culture project in the 3rd quarter where students share about one of their own cultures to teach others in the class about language, food, holidays, clothing and the flag. While I try to 
make it as diverse as possible so students can learn and be exposed to as many cultures as possible, students also see how they can be connected and are similar to others. 

Looking across at roles to support multilingualism, I can definitely see the community or parent advocacy as being an important step in creating a safe space for new learning without inserting your 
own power and beliefs onto the child. For students to attend a language immersion school, parents must consent and agree to follow the school rules about language use. Parents should be aware 
and give consent to their child learning a new language other than English in school. Whether the language learning is a pro or a con in their eyes, it should still be their decision, especially when it 
can have cultural implications. It should be something that they agree into. Yet, learning opportunities do not have to be something that invades a families personal, cultural or linguistic values. I 
guess the balance is acknowledgement, celebration, exposure and the idea of using multiple languages as a tool for learning. 

In situations where students have more literacy in their L1, then the teacher can serve as an advocate to get necessary resources to bridge learning and further advance English learning with the use 
of assistive technology, dictionaries, translations and integration of languages. The teacher should seek help from support staff at the school or district and have open communication with parents 
during the process.