As a consequence of changes in federal and state policies in education, educators who believe in the value and importance of bilingualism find themselves in a contested environment where their notions of best practices for emergent bilinguals contradict those espoused in such policies. In this context, acts of advocacy that support bilingual practices become an important part of teachers' work. The purpose of this article is to identify what advocacy for bilingual learners would and could entail, using studies that have focused on the work of bilingual educators in bilingual programs. Drawing on conceptual work and a review of 30 empirical studies, the article describes how bilingual teacher advocacy is conceptualized in and beyond the classroom setting. It concludes with insights regarding the multifaceted, complex phenomenon of teacher advocacy and its relevance to future research and teacher preparation for emergent bilingual learners.

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