C&I Faculty featured in Star Tribune article on English Language Learning

This month, C&I Faculty in Second Languages and Cultures have been tapped for their expertise in English language learning in Minnesota Public Schools. Last week, the Star Tribune ran the story, “Minnesota students learning English face an uphill battle, but innovations are helping.”
In the article, Professor Kendall King suggests, “Many students come to school multilingual, with these rich oral traditions. Yet many don’t have formal schooling, and may not be proficient in English or in academic language. It’s a huge challenge.”
Lecturer Susan Ranney offered additional insights, saying, “People can get fooled by conversational fluency. Academic language is much more complex and takes more time to learn. And it’s much more crucial to pick up.” Additionally, Ranney explains that the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) exams paint an incomplete picture of what is really happening in schools. Often, only struggling students are counted as English language learners; progress and success not represented in those test scores.
To read the full article, please visit the Star Tribune’s website. For additional information on Second Languages and Cultures, please visit the Second Languages and Cultures program area page.