54 Assisting your Child’s Learning in L2 is like Teaching them to Ride a Bike: A Study on Parental Involvement1 Apoyar a su Hijos en el Aprendizaje de una Segunda Lengua, es como Enseñarles a Montar en Bicicleta: Un Estudio sobre la Participación de los Padres Rigoberto Castillo and Linda Catherine Camelo Gámez2* Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Colombia Abstract This article deals with parental involvement as a strategy to assist young learners in their efforts to learn an L2. It discusses an 18-month experience involving ten young learners, their parents, and teachers, in the development of another language (L2). The parents had expressed that they were unable to support their children’s development in L2 because they “did not know English.” Classroom observations, analysis of class work, and interviews motivated the authors to pursue this inquiry. The pedagogical innovation consisted of educating parents in what it means to learn an L2, and in training them and their children to tackle assignments. A website was also developed to support this endeavor. The results suggest a positive change in the home environment as a place to learn with parental engagement. The data from this study suggest that training the parents not only facilitated children’s L2 study but contributed to their literacy development as well. The evidence also indicates that the quality of communication between children and parents, the organization of assignments, as well as the quality of written expression improved. When assisting one’s child to learn an L2, fun is as important as it is in learning to ride a bike. Key words: L2 literacy development, homework, parental involvement, second language, training 1 Received: May 23, 2013 / Accepted: September 13, 2013 2 Emails: rcastlephd@yahoo.com, lindacameloud@gmail.com Gist Education and LEarninG rEsEarch JournaL. issn 1692-5777. no. 7, novEmbEr 2013. pp. 54-73 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 55 Resumen Este artículo aborda la participación de los padres como una estrategia para apoyar a niños y jóvenes en sus esfuerzos por aprender una segunda lengua. Los padres manifestaron que no podían apoyar el aprendizaje del inglés porque no sabían inglés. Las observaciones en el aula, el análisis de trabajo en clase y las entrevistas con los padres motivaron el tema de esta investigación. La innovación pedagógica consistió en orientar a los padres en lo que significa aprender una segunda lengua en su formación y la de sus hijos para abordar las tareas. También, se creó un sitio web para apoyar este esfuerzo. Los resultados sugieren un cambio positivo en la participación de los padres y en el ambiente familiar para el trabajo escolar que no sólo facilito el estudio de la segunda lengua, sino que también contribuyó al desarrollo de la lecto-escritura. La evidencia también indica que hubo ganancias en: la calidad de la comunicación entre los niños y sus padres, en la organización de las tareas, así como en la calidad de la expresión escrita. Cuando apoya a un niño a aprender una segunda lengua, la diversión es tan importante como lo es cuando se aprende a montar en bicicleta. Palabras clave: Apoyo en tareas, aprendizaje del inglés en los niños, desarrollo de la lecto-escritura, formación de padres en la escuela, segundo idioma, participación de padres. Resumo Este artigo aborda a participação dos pais como uma estratégia para apoiar a crianças e jovens em seus esforços por aprender uma segunda língua. Os pais manifestaram que não podiam apoiar a aprendizagem do inglês porque não sabiam inglês. As observações na aula, o análise de trabalho em classe e as entrevistas com os pais motivaram o tema desta pesquisa. A inovação pedagógica consistiu em orientar os pais no que significa aprender uma segunda língua na sua formação e a dos seus filhos para abordar as tarefas. Também, criou-se um site web para apoiar este esforço. Os resultados sugerem uma mudança positivo na participação dos pais e no ambiente familiar para o trabalho escolar que não só facilitou o estudo da segunda língua, senão que também, contribui ao desenvolvimento da leito-escritura. A evidência também indica que houve ganâncias em: a qualidade da comunicação entre as crianças e seus pais, na organização das tarefas, assim como na qualidade da expressão escrita. Quando apoia uma criança a aprender uma segunda língua, a diversão é tão importante como o é quando se aprende a andar de bicicleta. Palavras chave: Apoio em tarefas, aprendizagem do inglês nas crianças, desenvolvimento da leito-escritura, formação de pais na escola, segundo idioma, participação de padres castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 56 Introduction A group of ten children, their parents, and the homeroom teacher participated in a study to address low school achievement in L2. Parents claimed they were unable to support their children’s EFL learning process. Observations, interviews, and conversations with the school teachers provided the basis for the decision to design workshops to train parents on how to tutor their children. Making connections between the learners’ family environment and the school seemed to be necessary to add meaning to L2 study. As Castillo (2012) contends, “The instruction received in classrooms may lag behind the education received in the environment. Meeting the present and the future needs of learners requires a revision of syllabi and of classroom practices” (p. v). Intervention with the parents became an attempt at giving the young learners a sense of success. The analogy that guided this action research study was that a parent can teach a kid to ride a bike even if he/she does not know how to ride. The workshops were the training wheels, the strategies were how to balance and how to use the tools provided. Pedaling was the constant effort and contact with the goal of and the resources for learning. In this analogy, the confidence built plus the skills developed allowed the kids to ride more pleasantly through their L2 journey. Colombian educational policies define and establish the importance of parental involvement in children’s development (MEN, 1994). Likewise, the national education policy (MEN, 2007) connects educational quality with family as a vital entity in children’s development. The Ministry of Education affirms that parents as educators of their children need to be guided because they face dilemmas between what they have to know, what they can and have to do as parents, issues that should be jointly addressed with the school. Weiner (2006) argues: We know from research on urban schools that an impersonal, bureaucratic school culture undercuts many of the teaching attitudes and behaviors that draw on student strengths. This bureaucratic culture fosters the pervasive assumption that when students misbehave or achieve poorly, they must be “fixed” because the problem inheres in the students or their families, not in the social ecology of the school, grade, or classroom. (p. 42) This social ecology of the L2 class is part of this study’s inquiry. School practices and assumptions seemed to have been taken for granted and hindered the parents’ participation in academic matters. At public elementary schools in Colombia, English is often introduced as a subject, but trained English teachers are not placed in the system. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 57 Therefore, the self-contained teacher cannot always guide children or parents in approaching L2 learning. This article will review the relevant literature on parental involvement, literacy, and L2 learning. It will describe the context for the research and the inquiry that drove the study, as well as the innovation implemented to address the issue of low parental involvement. Data collection and analysis reveal that training parents resulted not only in increased involvement on their part, but that this involvement appears to have facilitated children’s L2 study and contributed to their literacy development as well. The evidence also indicates that the quality of communication between children and parents, the organization of assignments, as well as the quality of written expression improved. Literature Review The constructs of the literature review for this study were parental involvement, literacy, and L2 learning. In line with the problem identified, the literature concurs that there is a correlation between parental involvement and school achievement. Parental Involvement Marzano (2003) has identified five key factors that influence school achievement, including (a) Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum; (b) Challenging Goals and Effective Feedback; (c) Parent and Community Involvement; (d) Safe and Orderly Environment; and (e) Collegiality and Professionalism (p. iv). He also stresses: The importance of parent involvement on student achievement is explicit in the research, whereas the importance of community involvement is more implicit. Three aspects of parent and community involvement are important to student achievement: mechanisms for communication, involvement in the day-to-day running of the school, and the use of governance structures. (2012, p.1) Our study explores the mechanism of communication in the school between the homeroom teacher, the parents, and the learners in regards to L2 study. This study has also gained insights from the theory of overlapping sphere of influence posed by Epstein (2009, p. 150), who explains the interrelation between family, school, and community in students’ learning. These entities are the major contexts in which students are influenced, learn, and grow. Epstein created a framework assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 58 that may help schools and institutions with practices that engage parents in achieving students’ goals and creating a climate of partnership. Table 1. Epstein’s typology of parental involvement (Epstein, 2009, p. 16) Parenting Communications Volunteering Learning at Home Decision making Collaborating with the Community Help families to establish home environments to support learners. School-to-home and home-to-school communications through the design & use of effective forms The enrollment and organization of a school’s volunteer program. Help families assist their children with homework and recognize other opportunities at home. Include parents, students, and community members in the school in decision making process. The recognition and integration of resources, services from the community Literacy as Social Meaning Literacy comprises reading, writing, and social meaning in which the children’s family exercises a great influence. Caspe (2003) says that “literacy involves more than encoding and decoding symbols and entails the ability to use these skills in a socially appropriate context” (p. 1). Similarly, Hell (1991) asserts that literacy encompasses the relations between a student and his/her culture as instanced by the material to read or write. Bloome (as cited in Hell, 1991) coincides and states that “reading includes establishing social groups and ways of interacting with others that comprise social relationships among people, among teachers and students, among students, among parent and children and among author and readers” (p.134). Equally, Bruner (1977), following the Vygotskyan Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), tells us that the nature of adult-child participation and how adults assist children’s literacy activities are assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 59 critical toward understanding how children effectively move through the ZPD (the child’s potential development or what the child can do with the assistance of an expert). The notion of literacy and social meaning related with the ZPD was used in the present study to help adults understand what language means, and what language learning entails. Parental Involvement and Literacy Outcomes For Epstein (2009), even though schools and teachers influence children’s learning, parents remain influential in literacy development. By the same token, Greenberg (2002) asserts that “your home is the primary environment in which your child’s potential and personality will take shape. It’s important to make sure that you create a positive, open atmosphere that will not only support what goes on in the classroom, but will also instill the desire to learn” (p. 1). Anderson (2000) also recognizes that parents have great potential in fostering students’ literacy because they may stimulate their child’s adult intelligence and lay the foundation for formal reading instruction. Chavkin (1993) agrees that parents transmit their skills, knowledge, attitudes and values to children by modeling acceptable behavior, guiding their activities, and giving direct instruction. Regarding primary school, Sheldon (2002) affirms that learners’ literacy outcomes are influenced by their parents’ reading-related activities. Similarly, the Harvard Family Research Project (2007) states that supporting literacy is one of parents’ responsibilities for academic development because they influence children’s performance by modeling, providing an emotional attachment to learning, and enhancing them. Anderson (2000) states that direct involvement in children’s learning and the availability of learning resources at home seem to influence academic success and cognitive growth. Likewise Midraj and Midraj (2011) argue that the significant predictors in comprehension and accuracy achievement include parents providing learning resources and tutoring, as well as taking part in literacy activities at home. With reference to related literature in Colombia, Barón and Corredor (2007) affirm that effective communication and combining mechanisms between families and schools may guarantee good and permanent ties towards the enrichment and fulfillment of students’ educational goals. To conclude, Lopera (2009) describes the alliance between family and school, and remarks that establishing a relationship between family and schools requires defining a two-way understanding and alliance between faculty and family that considers assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 60 the responsibilities, personal goals, and the appropriate mechanisms of participation. Parental involvement and L2 study. For Rosenbusch, (1987) “parents’ attitudes toward language and people play a major role in shaping their children’s attitude toward another language and success as a student” (p. 3). Forero and Quevedo (2006) also discuss how parents and children used written productions in L1 and L2 to make sense of the world by expressing perceptions, feelings, suggestions and expectations. Similarly, Gao (2006) proposes that the family may influence children’s L2 study directly and indirectly; directly when family members work as language learning advisors, coercers, and nurturers, training their children to be good language learners, and indirectly when family members act as language learning facilitators and teachers’ collaborators, creating learning discourses and motivating students to learn English. The concepts above had a bearing on designing the inquiry and proposing an intervention in which teachers, parents and learners collaborated. Methodology Context and Participants This action research project was carried out with ten children and their parents at a primary school in Bogotá, Colombia. These questions guided the inquiry: • What may the training of parents reveal about the support of young learners’ literacy development? • How may parental involvement support the young learners’ English language proficiency development? Research Design At the school in which the study took place, the homeroom teacher, parents and learners demonstrated dissatisfaction with the assignments and the scores of the English class. They identified the parents’ inability to provide support as a serious drawback. In search for explanations for that situation, the homeroom teacher and the school teacher of English were interviewed and they explained that parents did a good job in assisting their kids with other subjects, but parents maintained that they could not do the same with English. Aware of this fact, the school called assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 61 a parent-teacher meeting to explore solutions to the problem. Parents admitted that they were aware of the importance of the L2. They also affirmed that their support could enhance their children’s performance, and that they could offer them support and motivation. They said: Parent a: “We should be aware of our kids in all subjects and their environment.” Parent b: “Because if there is dialogue at home, it will be mirrored at school with confidence.” Parent c: “Because they will feel more comfortable and they will learn more.” Parent d: “Because we as parents, we are part of the solution.” 3 Despite this disposition, parents also stated that they had difficulties supporting their children’s English learning: Parent a: “Well, at home maybe kids don’t do English homework, let’s say, regarding my child, ehhh, it is because I don’t know it… but the true is that I don´t understand it”. Parent b: “The truth… the truth is that we don’t have enough time, we have to work all day then; we don’t have time for…. working with them. English takes time. We lack of motivation on this subject”.4 In addition to the testimonies, the classroom teacher reported that in most of the in-class tests the students scored below 50% of the expected outcome for the grade. The testimonies from parents made us aware of the need to study the related literature to inform our line of inquiry. 3 Parent a: “Debemos estar al tanto de nuestros hijos en todas las áreas y su entorno.” Parent b: “Porque trabajando en conjunto todos estos aspectos podremos colaborar más con el desarrollo académico y personal del niño.” Parent c: “Porque si hay diálogo en casa, se refleja en la escuela con seguridad.” Parent d: “Porque se van sentir más seguros más confiados y aprenden más.” Parent e: “Porque como padres, somos parte de la solución.” 4 Parent a: Pues… en la casa de pronto no hacen las tareas de inglés, digamos en cuanto a mi hijo.. ehh es porque realmente yo no sé…; pero es porque la verdad no entiendo… Parent b: La verdad… la verdad es que a nosotros no nos queda tiempo, nos toca traba- jar todo el día entonces; la verdad no nos queda tiempo para… para trabajar con ellos. Lo del inglés toma tiempo. Falta motivarlos más en esa clase. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 62 Data Collection Instruments The investigation into these questions involves the cycles of “planning, action, observation, and reflection” (Burns, 2010, p. 8). For the project these were: Cycle 1. Preliminary observations, a meeting at school, an informal interview and a questionnaire about parental involvement at home laid the foundation for the workshops with three parents and their children on how to approach the study of an L2. In addition, classwork provided insights into what learners could and could not do in the L2. Also, Linda held conferences with the homeroom teacher and the English teacher about the connection between parental involvement and academic achievements. This cycle corroborated the teachers’ and learners’ claims of lack of parental involvement. Cycle 2. The second cycle was created with homework as the bridge to connect parents to their children’s learning. Parents took two surveys. The first survey focused on asking parents how they supported their children at home, what difficulties they might have with the homework, and also how teachers might guide them with the English homework. The other survey asked parents about their preferences and the resources they used in assisting with homework. In this cycle, rubrics, procedures, and resources were posted in an accompanying website. Cycle 3. The third cycle included the implementation of language- learning strategies and tasks for parents and their children, written reflections, and an evaluation of the pedagogical innovation. Teachers at the school also took part in an interview about their expectations of this inquiry. The work with parents was informed by the Task-Based Learning Approach (TBL). For Willis (1996), tasks go beyond getting learners to do one task by sequence. Tasks are structured to promote constant learning and improvement with components in a larger framework. Three phases are proposed: pre-task, task cycle and language focus. In this study, homework was structured as a task that emphasizes meaning in interaction rather than analysis of the structure of the L2. The purpose of the tasks was twofold: L2 development and promotion of the parents and children’s communication, in which cognitive and affective aspects go together. Following the analogy mentioned in the introduction, parents and kids rode tandem bikes with the potential to be more efficient; these riders followed the following TBL procedures: assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 63 • Pre task: The pre-tasks dealt with topics familiar to the learners’ life: themselves, their family and school. These served as the input (Nunan, 2004). • Task cycle: In class, learners listen, speak, read and write, and work on the topics. • Language focus: At home, parents and kids focus on meaning for task completion. In Willis’ terms (1996): “students’ understanding and expressing meanings in order to achieve task outcomes and report their findings” (p. 101). Three strategies were proposed to help families assisting their children with homework: a written parent’s guide, a supporting web page, and conferences at school. The written guide was submitted to parents after each lesson, and it informed them about the steps, the materials, and tips to work with their children at home. The web page presented the topics and the homework strategies for parents to tutor their kids. Parents and children indicated in surveys and interviews that they regularly resorted to the internet for school work, so they were encouraged to use the web page: (http://lindaytoti.wix.com/pagina- web-para). Saturday workshops and conferences were conducted for five parents, sometimes accompanied by their children. This was possible thanks to the support of the schoolteachers and administrators. Participants worked on seven tasks around the following syllabus topics: me, my family, and my school. Tasks were posted on the web page weekly, which incorporated what was learned in the English lesson, and brought strategies that encouraged and enabled parents to assist with homework. The content appeared in both L1 and L2; the L1 being the training wheels to give confidence to the kids and the parents. The appendix contains samples of the written guide and of the web page developed.5 Data Analysis and Interpretation The data was composed by the students’ productions consisting of tasks made with their parents, tests applied after the intervention and their written reflections after homework. The data also contained the 5 Some of the strategies promoted can be found on the web site. *http://www.deguate.com.gt/artman/publish/educa_consejos/12_Consejos_para_ Hacer_de_tus_Tareas_Escolares_Alg_2152.shtml#.UdI9oPkrJE4 and at *http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/homework/homeworktips.pdf. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 64 parents’ written reflections after homework, and their evaluation of the pedagogical intervention. The teachers’ reflections about the pedagogical intervention were part of the data as well. Data triangulation sought to give validity to the study and to evaluate the findings (Mathison, 1988 as cited in Golafshani, 2003), and it involved the use of different sources of data/information for the credibility in qualitative evaluations (Guion, 2012). The data analysis process followed Freeman’s grounded approach (1998), taking the categories inside and outside data. Inside data included the participants’ opinions and productions. Outside data involved answering the research questions that guided this study: What may the training of parents reveal about the support of young learners’ literacy development? How may parental involvement support young learners English language proficiency development? Results From both inside and outside data, two categories that responded to the research questions materialized: First, parental engagement and home environment facilitate students’ literacy development, and second, parental involvement enhanced communication among parents, children and teachers. 1. Parental engagement and home environment facilitate students’ literacy development. The artifacts, collected after the intervention, indicate improvements in the organization of the children’s work. For instance, the task in Sample 1 was carried out without the parents’ intervention, showing little logical organization. In Sample 2, the completion of the task was supported by a parent. It indicates that the rubrics were followed, that the information was organized, and that, in an attempt to communicate, more effort was put into it. Student 1, sample 1: Student 1, sample 2: prior to intervention. after intervention. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 65 The training of parents provided support to the young learners’ literacy development. The schoolteachers’ opinion corroborates this finding. In interviews, teachers reported that parents modeled the tasks, and that it was clear that the task and the language were understood. The literature also supports this finding. Roberts, Jurgens & Burchinal’s study (as cited in Oest, 2011) established that parents who provide structure, organization, and a positive general emotional climate at home, along with stimulating toys and interactions, facilitate children’s language and early literacy development. Similarly, Duursma et al. (2007) assert that not only parents’ literacy activities such as reading with children affect their literacy outcomes, but they also help the child with learning or English homework. 2. Parental involvement enhanced communication among parents, children and teachers. The second category reinforces the response to the first research question. Literacy was strengthened since data indicates that training parents enhanced communication among parents, their children, and the school. Children and parents’ written reflections after each task show that the intervention improved the quality in communication and interaction. Aspects such as team learning, family integration, participation and fun were highlighted. Some parents’ testimonies include the following: Parent 1:“The most interesting thing was everything because I learn and communicate in a good way with the children”. Parent 2: “Family integration”; Parent 3 “It was fun and different, we spoke more in that moment It may sound odd, but it was like that”; Parent 4 “I liked what we did and also we had fun studying together”. This investigation suggests that studying English became a bridge to connect parents and children. The literature has reported similar findings. Green & Meyer (as cited in Oldfather & Dahl, 1994) affirm that “literacy is accomplished through the interactions that take place in classroom discourse as well as in family and the larger culture” (p. 141). Bermúdez & Márquez (1996) assert that parental involvement implies family interaction. In their article, Henderson (1989) says that when parents become involved in school activities, consequential assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 66 benefits include improved parent-child relationships. Similarly Brown (as cited in López, Scribner & Mahitivanichcha, 2001) states, “parent participation often enhances student self-esteem, improves parent- child relationships, and helps parents develop positive attitudes toward schools” (p. 255). As for the second research question: How may parental involvement support young learners English language proficiency development, there was evidence that the involvement of parents had a bearing on the progress in language development. The language used in the assignments gradually improved from the word level to the sentence level. Parents followed the rubrics in the student’s portfolios and even included expressions not covered in classes. As the following sample, we can see the student’s effort to include relevant information and vocabulary about his/her family. Student 2: Sample 2 English written production *My uncle is German Alberto León. *He is a historian of Valle del Cauca of the University. *His work as a historian is to investigate, describe and explain the past a society. *Proponer problemas suggest responses and relationships. *Find sources of written information, verbal or graphic materials objects. *Calendario = calendar Reloj = watch Cronometro = chronometer Evolution = evolution In addition, students’ in-class tests and assignments, taken after the intervention, indicated progress in building ideas in the target language. The following samples show the task and test dealing with family occupations: assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 67 Student 2 - Classroom task Student 2 - In test-class My mom is Olga She is mommy She sell many things a cafateria Works cafateria She works in a commercial place in Santa Isabel Student 3- Classroom Task Student 3 - In test-class POLICE MERCHANT He is and police man Gun Shirt He is a comerchant Sergeant Saleswoman Jail Bottons Handcuffs Necks The sample above suggests that the student replicated in the test what was made as homework with parents. This seems to indicate a strong connection between the students’ tasks and their overall performance in class. Parents explained that they were not centered on the structure of language but on how to communicate. Hatch (1978) also establishes that the acquisition of an L2 is a product of an attempt to communicate. The reflections collected after homework also provided support to the finding that the intervention yielded L2 proficiency gains. Parents and children informed that they needed to learn vocabulary to be able to express their ideas. The literature concurs that vocabulary knowledge is a core component in language proficiency as it relates to literacy development (NCCA, 2012). The data gathered informed us about the benefits of making home-school connections. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 68 Conclusions This article reports a study that attempted to address the problem at an elementary school in which the community felt that children were not performing well in the L2 because parents could not provide support since they had no knowledge of the L2 and of how to tackle L2 study. In response to the first research question posed, evidence indicates that the children gained in literacy development. The tests after the intervention provided evidence that learners managed to organize their work. Observations and interviews pointed in the direction that the participants had a better disposition to learn. The training supported by workshops, a website, and a guide for home and schoolwork contributed to an understanding of reading, writing, and in general, communicating. This inquiry concludes that by training parents in tutoring their kids’ in the L2, literacy and language proficiency are strengthened. In addition, trained parental involvement enriches the communication among parents, their children, and the school having a positive effect on literacy development. In terms of possible limitations of the study, the sample group was rather small. Five parents and their children volunteered from the start to the end. It would be interesting to conduct a similar study including more participants. The participants agreed that communication and interaction, around the study of the L2, at home were enhanced. A warmer atmosphere of cooperation and sharing of schoolwork was attributed to the intervention. This may signify that the intervention went beyond the study of the L2 structures or skill development. This finding reinforces the idea that school and parents can work together. In regards to the second research question, language proficiency showed improvement. Tasks that required collaboration among parents, teachers and kids encouraged efforts to communicate. At first, modeling was used, and later sparks of language creativity were found since the need to communicate a message about the participants themselves was created. The support provided by the training, the materials, and the website seemed to translate into an understanding of the game of learning and into language proficiency achievements. In sum, the study suggests that schools ought to offer parents training on how to support their children’s education. This training should explore the nature of learning in general, learning strategies, and the nature of learning each school subject without removing the fun of learning. Part of the training should be devoted to familiarization with assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 69 information technologies and authorized resources that support school learning. Home and school connections can be enriched provided the school staff offers parents their expert knowledge on how to tackle the study of a subject. It can be safely concluded that parents do not necessarily need a high L2 proficiency to support their children’s L2 learning, but they do need to understand what learning, in general, entails and what L2 learning demands. Parents did not need to assume the role of L2 teachers, but of aids to help children find the path to study and the ways to tackle language study. Parents who could not ride an L2 bike can support their child to learn to ride it. References Anderson, S. A. (2000). How parental involvement makes a difference in reading achievement. Reading Improvement 37(2), 61-86. Barón & Corredor (2007). Depicting family-school participation in scheduled activities. (Unpublished monograph). Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá. Bermúdez & Márquez (1996). An examination of a four-way collaborative to increase parental involvement in the schools. The Journal of Educational Issue of Language Minority Students, 16(1). Bruner, J. (1977). 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Doce consejos para hacer de tus tareas escolares algo fácil e interesante. Retrieved from: http://www.deguate.com/ artman/publish/educa_consejos/12_Consejos_para_Hacer_de_tus_ Tareas_Escolares_Alg_2152.shtml#.UTNXY6L Duursma, E. Romero-Contreras, S., Szuber, A., Proctor, P., & Snow, C. (2007). The role of home literacy and language environment on bilinguals’ English and Spanish vocabulary development. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28(2007), 170-191. doi: 10.1017. S0142716406070093 Epstein, J. (2009). School, Family and community partnerships: Your handbook for action. (2nd Ed.), Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher research: From inquiry to understanding. Boston: Heinle & Heinle. Forero & Quevedo (2006). (Unpublished monograph). Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá. Gao, X. (2006). Strategies used by Chinese parents to support English language learning. RELC Journal, 37(3), 287-295. 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Aproximaciones a su comprensión e indagación. Revista Q: Educación, Comunicación y Tecnología, 3(6), 12. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 71 López, G. R, Scribner, J. D., & Mahitivanichcha, K. (2001). Redefining parental involvement: Lessons from high-performing migrant- impacted schools. American Educational Research Journal, 38(2), pp. 253-288. doi: 10.3102/00028312038002253 Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Marzano, R. (2012). Take Action: Involve Parents, Improve Achievement. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/ vol1/109-marzano.aspx Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (1994). Ley General de Educación Retrieved from: http://www.mineducacion.gov.co/1621/ article-85906.html Ministerio de Educación. (2006). Guía 22: Formar en lenguas extranjeras: inglés ¡El reto! 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Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1076&context=ehd_theses Oldfather, P. & Dahl, K. (1994). Toward a social constructivist reconceptualization of intrinsic motivation for literacy learning. Journal of Reading Behavior, 26(2), 139-158. Rosenbusch, M. (1987). Foreign language learning and children: The parental role. ERIC Q & A. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 72 Sheldon, S. (2002). Parents’ social networks and beliefs as predictors of parent involvement. The Elementary School Journal, 102(4), 301- 316. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs, Educational Partnerships and Family Involvement Unit. (2003). Homework tips for parents, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from: http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/ involve/homework/homeworktips.pdf Weiner, L. (2006). Challenging deficit thinking. Educational Leadership. September(64), 42-45. Willis, J. (1996). A framework for task-based learning. Harlow: Longman Addison-Wesley. Authors *Rigoberto Castillo holds a Ph. D. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin. Has an M.A in Applied Linguistics from U.T as a Fulbright scholar. He teaches in the Doctorado Interinstitucional en Educación at Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas in Bogotá (Colombia). His book on strategic learning (in press) was nominated for the British English Language Teaching award (ELTons). He is a recipient of the National Award of the Colombian Association of Teachers of English. He is the present Director of the Language Institute of the Universidad Distrital in Bogotá, Colombia. *Linda C. Camelo graduated in the Licensure in TEFL at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas in Bogotá (Colombia). She holds a minor in folk dancing. She has taught English to children and adolescents. In 2013 Linda was appointed through AIESEC as an international language teacher in Bangalore, India. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) 73 Appendix Samples of the written guide and web page for parents and children. assistinG your chiLd’s LEarninG in L2 castiLLo & camELo No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013) No. 7 (Nov. 2013)