Katie Bernstein
Biography
As an applied linguist and former early childhood teacher, Katie Bernstein studies the language and literacy practices of linguistically diverse students in classroom settings. Her work examines the social interactions of young children as contexts for second language learning. Additionally, by looking closely at what young children say and do—and how they say and do it— Professor Bernstein's research provides a window into what young students understand about language, literacy, their peers, and themselves. This research is situated at the intersection of education and applied linguistics and draws on ideas from sociocultural theory and practice theory, as well as from postmodern and critical perspectives on language and literacy. Her primary research methods are qualitative, ethnographic, and discourse analytic.
Professor Bernstein has been published in TESOL Quarterly, Applied Linguistics Review, and Linguistics and Education. Her dissertation, which examined language learning and identity formation for four emergent bilinguals across their year in pre-kindergarten, won the American Association of Applied Linguistics Best Dissertation Award in 2016.
Education
- Ph.D. Education (Language, Literacy and Culture), University of California-Berkeley
- M.A. Education (Language, Literacy and Culture), University of California-Berkeley
- B.A. Linguistics, Duke University
Google Scholar
Research Interests
Guiding Research Questions:
- How do young children's peer interactions contribute to their language learning and their knowledge about languages?
- What do preschool teachers believe about language learning and linguistic diversity, and how do those beliefs relate to teachers' own histories?
Current Research Projects:
Dr. Bernstein is researching preschoolers' peer-to-peer talk about language in two preschool classrooms. Examining children's talk--in combination with data about each classroom's peer social network--will help her understand how children's interactions with multilingual classmates contribute to their knowledge about languages and language learning.
Dr. Bernstein and her colleagues are also conducting research that follows 14 pairs of early childhood classroom teachers as they implement two-way bilingual immersion models in their classrooms for the first time. The study examines the challengesboth material and ideologicalof transitioning to a dual language model. It also investigates the effects of ongoing teacher professional development in drama as a language/literacy teaching technique, measured by outcomes such as student language growth and changes in teachers classroom talk.
Publications
Bernstein, K.A. (2020). (Re)defining success in language learning: Positioning, participation and young emergent bilinguals at school. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. https://books.google.com/books?id=MAr2DwAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&hl=en
Bernstein, K., Katznelson, N., Amezcua, A., Mohamed, S., & Alvarado, S.L. (2020). Equity/social justice, instrumentalism/neoliberalism: Dueling discourses of dual language in principals' talk about their programs. TESOL Quarterly, 54(3), p. 652-684. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.582
Bernstein, K. A. (2018). The perks of being peripheral: English learning and participation in a preschool classroom network of practice. TESOL Quarterly 52(4),798-844. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.428
Katznelson, N. & Bernstein, K. A. (2017). Rebranding bilingualism: The shifting discourses of language education policy in California's 2016 election. Linguistics and Education, 40, 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2017.05.002
Bernstein, K.A. (2017). Writing their way into talk: Emergent bilinguals’ emergent literacy practices as pathways to peer interaction and oral language growth. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 17(4), 485-531. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798416638138
Bernstein, K.A. (2016). “Misunderstanding” and (mis)interpretation as strategic tools in intercultural interaction between pre-school children. Applied Linguistics Review, 7(4), 471-494. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2016-0021
Research Activity
- Marley,Scott Christopher*, Bernstein,Katherine Arielle, Kelley,Michael Francis, Restrepo, Maria Laida.Supporting Early Language Development of Preschool Children with Drama Integration. Department of Education – Arts in Education Grant. (2018-2022)
- Kelley,Michael Francis*, Bernstein,Katherine Arielle, Farrand,Kathleen M., Marley,Scott Christopher. EYEPlay for Dual Language Learners: Focus on Orange County Public Pre-schools FL. (7/1/2016 - 6/30/2017).
Courses
| Spring 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| EPA 792 | Research |
| DCI 792 | Research |
| Fall 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| SLC 494 | Special Topics |
| HUL 494 | Special Topics |
| SGS 494 | Special Topics |
| POS 494 | Special Topics |
| SLC 598 | Special Topics |
| HUL 598 | Special Topics |
| EPA 790 | Reading and Conference |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| Spring 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| Fall 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| TEL 780 | Practicum |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| TEL 791 | Seminar |
| TEL 799 | Dissertation |
| Summer 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| BLE 529 | Lang Assess & Eval ESL/BLE St |
| TEL 780 | Practicum |
| TEL 791 | Seminar |
| Spring 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| TEL 780 | Practicum |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| TEL 791 | Seminar |
| TEL 799 | Dissertation |
| Fall 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| TEL 780 | Practicum |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| TEL 791 | Seminar |
| TEL 792 | Research |
| Spring 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| DCI 790 | Reading and Conference |
| TEL 792 | Research |
| Fall 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| Spring 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| BLE 220 | Foundations of SEI |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |
| Fall 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| ECD 321 | Emerging Language and Literacy |