The United States' immigration population has doubled since 1990. In fact, the foreign-born population in the US reached 40 million, the highest recorded number in US history. The increase in the foreign- born population has led to an increase in diversity within the public schools nationwide. This diversity leads to a rise in an underserved population within the American education system, where the language spoken at home is not English. These students are referred to as 'English as a Second Language' (ESL) students or 'English Language Learners' (ELL). This increase in diversity in American classrooms is demonstrated by Figure 1.
Ten percent of all public school students in the United States are English as a Second Language learners (ESL), meaning they have limited English proficiency. But less than 1 percent of public school teachers are ESL instructors.
That means there’s just one ESL instructor for every 150 ESL students. The standard classroom ratio in America is about 15 students for every teacher (which is different from average classroom size-26 students per class) in the public school system. ESL students are a complex group of students, with diverse background, languages and most importantly educational needs. Some ELL students come from homes in which no English is spoken, while others have been exposed to, or use multiple languages. These students are often stigmatized as lower-level academic students. This website will serve as a source to understand this continuously growing group of students in America.
Ten percent of all public school students in the United States are English as a Second Language learners (ESL), meaning they have limited English proficiency. But less than 1 percent of public school teachers are ESL instructors.
That means there’s just one ESL instructor for every 150 ESL students. The standard classroom ratio in America is about 15 students for every teacher (which is different from average classroom size-26 students per class) in the public school system. ESL students are a complex group of students, with diverse background, languages and most importantly educational needs. Some ELL students come from homes in which no English is spoken, while others have been exposed to, or use multiple languages. These students are often stigmatized as lower-level academic students. This website will serve as a source to understand this continuously growing group of students in America.
Sources:
Header image adapted from http://www.d25.osstf.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=47c8419e-3f66-4bb0-8f53-9bfabede3961
American Census Community
US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
National Education Association
National Council of Teachers of English
Header image adapted from http://www.d25.osstf.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=47c8419e-3f66-4bb0-8f53-9bfabede3961
American Census Community
US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
National Education Association
National Council of Teachers of English