Constance L. Walker
Associate professor
Ph.D., University of
Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
Second languages and
cultures education
250 Peik Hall
612-625-4828
walke002@umn.edu
Office hours: by appointment.
Preferred method of contact: e-mail
I have long had an interest in the school experiences of second language learners, particularly those students who must learn English as a second language while also mastering academic content at school. What lays behind the struggle for achievement that so many of our young citizens face as they navigate the complex world of learning a second language while at school? How much of a role does the school culture play in that struggle? How can teachers help students develop the academic and language skills they need for success at school?
It is the teacher development piece that energizes my work in second language education. I currently direct a 5-year U. S. Department of Education grant, Teaching English Language Learners — Action Model to Unite Professionals. This project involves teams of grade-level teachers, ESL teachers and paraprofessionals from particular schools in long-term efforts to build on the strengths and address the needs of bilingual learners. Teachers set individual and school-site goals, meet, read, discuss and exchange information through formal and informal processes, all directed at developing collaborative mechanisms for providing effective instruction.
National and state-level policies about the educational needs and services for bilingual students form a backdrop for the curriculum, instruction, and assessment that make up their school experiences. Often such policies and practices are built on myths and misperceptions concerning language learning and developing bilingualism. Preparing teachers to challenge such myths and to adjust practice to best bring out the talents of bilingual learners is my primary goal.
Selected publications
Walker, C. L., Ranney, S., & Fortune, T. W. (2005). Preparing preservice classroom teachers for students learning through a second language: A content-based approach. In Tedick, D. (Ed.) Second language teacher education: International perspectives. (pp. 313-333). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Walker, C. L., & Tedick, D. J. (2000). Bilingual education, English as a second language, and foreign language education: Movement to a center. In D. Birchbickler & R. M. Terry (Eds.), Reflecting on the past to shape the future (pp. 223-244). Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Co.
Walker, C. L., & Tedick, D. J. (2000). The complexity of immersion education: Teachers address the issues. Modern Language Journal, 84(1), 5-27.
Walker, C. L., & Tedick, D. J. (1998). Multicultural education in practice: What do teachers say? In M. Dilworth (Ed.), Being responsive to cultural differences. How teachers learn (pp. 182–196). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
McCollum, P., & Walker, C. L. (1997). Minorities in America 2000. Education and Urban Society, 24(2), 178-195.
