Transitioning English Language Learners, Annotated Bibliography

Introduction
On July 17, 2008 the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) awarded a contract to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to assist OVAE in conducting a descriptive study of instructional and programmatic practices that support the transition of English language learners (TELL) from English as a second language (ESL) programs to adult basic education (ABE) or adult secondary education (ASE) programs. A key component of the study, known as the TELL project, is a review of literature and critical annotated bibliography to provide an overview and critique of the research related to TELL. The review of literature focused on instructional practices and programs related to TELL, including teaching and learning processes, strategies to improve academic language learning, and instructional and programmatic strategies that support ELLs’ transition to ABE and ASE programs.

AIR implemented a highly structured, methodical literature management system and conducted a systematic literature review to ensure consistency in the identification, analysis, and writing of the critical annotations. The search for literature included several interconnected and overlapping phases that resulted in the development of critical annotations designed to describe the literature and critique its value to TELL in general, and to this TELL project specifically. The search management process included a preliminary exploratory literature review to conceptualize research questions. These guiding questions were framed around eight a priori themes that emerged from the preliminary review of the literature, and the themes were used to create a framework with which to organize the literature found.