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ABSTRACT
With an increasing immigrant population in the United States, higher education institutions and community organizations offer a variety of adult English as a second languge (ESL) courses. Given that English language learners (ELLs) come from various backgrounds, they face unique challenges. Thus, it is pivotal that adult ESL instructors effectively address the needs of diverse ELLs in their classrooms. This qualitative study was guided by Critical Language and Race Theory introduced by Crump (2014) to explore how adult ESL instructors promote culturally responsive pedagogy. Participants of this study were seven adult ESL instructors teaching at a community college in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through face-to-face, semistructured interviews, journal entries, and classroom observations. This study contributes to the body of research that highlights the importance of promoting culturally responsive pedagogy in order to create an inclusive language learning environment.
Keywords: adult ESL, culturally responsive pedagogy, immigrants, inclusion, integration
INTRODUCTION
The foreign-born population has been steadily growing in the United States. The southeastern United States, where this research study is situated, is experiencing similar trends. According to the National Immigration Forum (2016), this southeastern state has a rapidly growing immigrant population. In 1990, immigrants comprised just 1.7% of the population. By 2014, they comprised 7.6%. The data from the Migration Policy Institute (2016) revealed that 52.5% of immigrants living in this state come from Latin America. The other foreign-born residents come from Asia (27.9%), Europe (10.1%), Africa (6.8%), North America (2.3%), and Oceania (0.4%).
With an increasing immigrant population in the United States, many adult English as a second language (ESL) courses are offered in community colleges, community centers, and other nonprofit organizations. "ESL instruction for adults is the largest and fastest growing component of America's adult education system-representing more than 40 percent of enrollment and more than 1.2 million students per year-and is the fastest growing program of any kind at many community colleges" (Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education, 2015). For example, in 2010, the community colleges in the southeastern state in which this study takes place served 175,458 adults who attended adult ESL classes (National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, 2010).
Given that English language learners (ELLs) come from various backgrounds, they face unique challenges in schools and...