Leila Schroeder
Degrees
- M.A. Urban Education with bilingual emphasis, California State University, Los Angeles, (1978)
- B.A. Elementary Education with psychology emphasis, Biola, (1972)
Credentials:- Standard “Life” Elementary Teaching Credential, California
- Certificate of Proficiency - Spanish Language, California
- Specialist Credential - Bilingual/Cross Cultural Education, California
Current positions
- International Literacy and Education Consultant, SIL (2008 – )
- Literacy Consultant for SIL Africa Area. (2005 – 2008)
Other experience
- Literacy Consultant for SIL East Africa Group, (2002 – 2003)
- Literacy/bilingual education specialist for BTL Kenya. (1997 – 2002)
- Literacy /Bilingual Education Consultant assignment, spring of (1997)
- Consulted Sabaot and Tharaka language projects. Literacy and bilingual education specialist in Tharaka project, (1998 – 2000)
- Developed literacy materials and teachers’ guides, led workshops for training local authors.
- Supervised adult literacy activities.
- Developed plan for mother tongue education, in cooperation with educators in Tharaka district.
- Wrote a teacher-training manual and seven-year expansion plan for the Tharaka program.
- Produced adult literacy materials (basic adult transitional literacy primer; a self-teaching transition workbook; teachers’ guide for basic adult primers; and teachers’ guide for basic transition primer).
- Developed textbooks for language arts in mother- tongue, grades K-3.
- Instructor in Mega Literacy course, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Dallas, Texas. (Fall 1997)
- Instructor of English as a Second Language, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Nairobi, Kenya, (1994 – 1996) and guest lecturer in the Vernacular Literacy class at NEGST, (1996).
- Instructor for Vernacular Literacy class at Pan Africa Collage, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Nairobi, Kenya, (1994)
- Assistant to Museum Director for International Museum of Cultures. September, (1988 – November 1990)
- Teaching Assistant for Literacy Materials course. Summer Institute of Linguistics, Dallas, Texas. (Fall 1986)
- Teaching Assistant for Literacy Materials course. Summer Institute of Linguistics, Norman, Oklahoma. (Summer 1982, and Summer 1983)
- Bilingual Teacher, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, La Puente, California. Reading in Spanish and English 1st, 2nd and 4th grades and transition from Spanish to English, and English as a Second Language, (September 1974 – June 1981)
- Teacher, Coachella Valley Unified School District, Thermal, California. One year regular 5th grade and one year as bilingual 4th grade. (September 1972 – June 1974)
Memberships
- International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA)/British Association of Applied Linguistics
- International Reading Association
Language proficiency
- English
- Spanish
- Swahili
- French (1+)
Research interests
- Relationship between orthography and reading process
- Relationship between linguistic properties of languages and reading pedagogy
- Transitional reading pedagogies.
- Common underlying proficiencies across languages that contribute to transfer of language skills in literacy domains.
Selected publications
Publications in SIL International Bibliography
2007. (with Barbara Trudell). “Reading methodologies for African languages: avoiding linguistic and pedagogical imperialism, ”Language, Culture and Curribulum, Vol. 20 (3): 165-180.
2007. “Promoting Cognitive Development in Children from Minority Language Groups. ”International Journal of Learning,Vol. 14 (7).
2006. Bantu Orhtography Manual. (First electronic version.) Nairobi, Kenya, SIL.
2004. “Mother-tongue education in schools in Kenya: some hidden beneficiaries. ”Language Matters 35(2): 376-389.
2001. “Mother-tongue education in schools in Tharaka language group of Kenya. ”Notes on Literacy 27(3): 8-22.
2000. (with Ilene Foote). “Documentation and Assessment of a Multilingual Education Program. ” In Explaining multilingual education: information on some tough questions.Pp. 177-210. Stephen L Walter, Patricia M. Davis, and Ronald Morren, eds. Dallas: SIL International.
Selected papers presented
2007. “Promoting Cognitive Development in Children from Minority Language Groups. ” Paper presented at 14th International Conference on Learning, Johannesburg, South Africa, 29 June, 2007.
2006. “Reading methodologies for African languages: avoiding linguistic and pedagogical imperialism. ” Paper presented at the annual meeting of British Association for Applied Linguistics.
2005. “Mother tongue based bilingual education: Promoting cognitive development in children from minority language groups. ” Paper presented at the 4th Pan Africa Reading for All Conference of the International Reading Association, Ezulwini, Swaziland.
Works online
2007. “Promoting Cognitive Development in Children from Minority Language Groups. ” International Journal of LearningVolume 14, Issue 7. Online at URL http://www.cgpublisher.com