In this December 2020 Issue of the Journal of English Learner Education we start with a dedication to a friend, colleague, and former editor of the journal when it was Tapestry.

Dr. Alex "Xander" Davies passed in October 2020. A previous managing editor of the Tapestry Journal, now the Journal of English Learner Education, Dr. Davies was instrumental in the publication of journal issues in 2014 and 2015. He was a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Central Florida, and was a faculty member in the Graduate School of Education at Portland State University. Quick with a joke or a helpful anecdote, he was a champion of those who did not have a voice in education. For our next Special Issue on Dual Language Education, the issue will be dedicated to his work in Dual Language as well as his work with English Learners.

In this issue, we explore important issues related to teaching and working with English Learners (ELs) and their families. As a society and a profession, we are struggling with a difficult time of pandemic and education, particularly for how we care for and work with our EL families. Educators have been working tirelessly to provide an equitable education to their most vulnerable students, particularly our English Learners.

Our lead article is by Scott Freiberger, a passionate advocate for ELLs and aspiring school leader, and the 2018 TESOL International Teacher of the Year. Twitter: @scottfreiberger. He offers research-based insights into program-level ideas for the K-12 classroom during this unprecedented time when supporting ELs is especially needed. Dana Manning and Erin Pearce propose that educator preparations programs should consider incorporating more experiential learning opportunities for preservice teachers to grow in their self-efficacy when working in diverse classrooms and make the case for this with their study. In From ESL to EAL: Moving from a Deficit Framework to an Asset Framework, Karen Bordonaro describes a self-directed autoethnographic research study of how the author moved from a deficit to an asset perspective in working with non-native speakers of English. Addressing teaching and the importance of literacy, Sujin Kim, Kathleen A. Ramos, Hyunsun Chung, and Sungshim Choi argue for enacting a synthesis of English language teaching and critical pedagogy into critical multiliteracies pedagogy in the context of ESL/EFL teaching. In The Power of a Name: Nontraditional Names, Teacher Efficacy, and Expected Learning Outcomes, LaSonya L. Moore, Martha S Lue Stewart, Dena S. Slanda, Anais Placencia, and MezNari M. Moore share the significance of uncommon or nontraditional names and provide classroom teachers with best practices for creating a safe and inclusive classroom which recognizes the value of a student’s name.

This issue contains two reviews, one book review and one language software review. Hilal Peker and Metin Torlak review Learner Identity and Learner Beliefs in EFL Writing by Olga Majchrzak focused on research studies on learner identity and beliefs in writing. Farideh Nekoobahr, Jacqueline Hawkins, Kristi L. Santi, Janeen R. S. Antonelli, and Johanna Leigh Thorpe complete a research-based evaluation of the computer-based program NativeAccent. They demonstrate that the software is based on systematic instructional design strategies and theories.

Call for Papers

In our next Special Issue for Spring 2021, we are excited to focus on Dual Language education. Ryan Pontier will introduce this issue for us and we are looking for a diverse range of articles to share with our readers about Dual Language education from around the world.

The purpose of this special themed issue is to address the topic of Dual Language teaching and learning. This issue will feature both research-oriented as well as practical articles that address the construct of dual language classrooms and programs with descriptions of effective practice to be used by teachers, school counselors, and/or administrators in their instruction of language learners. We are particularly interested in articles that address the changes that were required to program and classroom implementation due to COVID. We are also interested in Dual Language Programs from less commonly taught languages.

Download our Call for Papers and let us know if you have any questions. The deadline for submissions is March 30, 2021.