“I Was Never Prepared For This”: Examining The Extent To Which Classroom Teachers Are Prepared To Identify And Support The Needs Of LTELL Students

This study examines the extent to which classroom teachers are prepared to support Long Term English Language Learners (LTELL), a subclassification of Emergent Bilingual (EB) students who have received English language support for an extended period of time and yet they are still striving to achieve English language proficiency as measured by standardized tests. Because these students have seemingly mastered the skills that English language instruction offers, they are usually placed in traditional, mainstream classes alongside their English-only speaking peers and under the instruction of classroom teachers -- teachers, who in many cases, as revealed in this study, have little to no training or support when it comes to working with students developing skills and exhibiting behaviors natural to the language acquisition process. Based on the reflections, experiences, and sentiments shared via interviews with practicing teachers, the findings of this study suggest that the development of an extensive teacher preparation curriculum covering the various needs of language learning students, as well as interactive professional development opportunities in collaboration with the English language support team, would greatly benefit classroom teachers as they prepare to support the LTELL students in their classrooms.