Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners in an English Education Methods Course

This article explores one element of collaborative practice: the integration of English language learner-focused instruction and discussion in a secondary English methods course. Drawing on the authors' expertise, they examine revisions made to a secondary English methods course to better address the academic and individual needs of diverse learners, specifically ELLs. In sharing their ideas, the authors acknowledge the many expectations and demands already placed on methods coursework. As underscored by the Conference on English Education Summit, teacher educators face a wide range of work conditions in their institutions and must meet multiple expectations and accept multiple responsibilities. The authors state that they would be remiss, then, to offer the elements discussed in this article as the only way for addressing the needs of ELLs in a methods course; there are multiple ways to integrate issues related to diverse learners in secondary English teacher preparation.