What's wrong with being an English Language Learner at schools ...

This article is written by Patricia Dickenson who is a former elementary school teacher in L.A.and now a member of ASCD?s Emerging Leaders Program. Dickenson states that it has been predicted that the population of English Language Learners (ELL) is going up to 40 percent of primary and secondary schools by 2030 while schools are struggling to make Adequate Yearly Progress. However, Dickenson argues that English Language Learners are not holding the school back, on the contrary, it is the ?system that is preventing this group of students from moving forward?.

So what is the problem of the system for English Language Learners? In fact, there are specific extra funding from Stringent for districts and schools which have ELL students enrolled, but funding does not equate to quality education. For example, at one of the previous schools Dickenson worked, the teacher was instructed to use seventh grade core curriculum and relevant support to teach both seventh an eighth grade students in one class.

Furthermore, students are labeled ELLs based on a home language survey. So if one?s paprents respond to questions with a language other than English, state law requires public schools to assess English proficiency, and the students have to test in the top two of five levels of proficiency to be enrolled in mainstream classes. Nonetheless, usually what happens to ELL students is that some of them who are really good at mathematics are limited to attend relevant levels of maths classes because of their limiting English proficiency test score. This is a common case for ELL students at schools in the U.S. Thus, Dickenson indicates that ELL students do not receive the same education as their English-only peers.

Nonetheless, on the education for ELL students itself has some trade-offs. For instance, there are newly arrived ELLs who need support ascquiring basic interpersonal communication skills while long-term ELL students need help acquire academic literacy skills. In fact, the needs are not distinguished, and few classrooms for ELL students seem to be a catch all for a range of students and abilities?

For further readings, please visit:?http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2012/01/justice_for_english_language_learners.html

Denise?Louie?Education?Center?provides quality, multilingual, multicultural early childhood education services to children and families.??At?Denise?Louie?Education?Center, we respect and preserve each child?s individuality, culture, heritage, and home language.??As language is a foundation part of this work, each classroom will create and put in place a language plan that reflects both the classroom and larger community.?The ability of a child to speak his or her home language is a crucial part of that child?s relationship with family and community.??In addition, home language development builds upon the vocabulary and understanding the learner already possesses.??Home language development also serves as a valuable tool in the development of a second language.?Each classroom will support the exploration of all languages represented in our learning community as we work to further our understanding of our communities, of each other, of ourselves, and of our world.?

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Source: http://deniselouieblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/whats-wrong-with-being-an-english-language-learner-at-schools/

lsu football schedule terrapin terrapin manny pacquiao vs marquez manny pacquiao vs marquez dish network cbs news