ESL LESSON
About English as a Second Language (ESL)
As the primary spoken language in a country with a rich history of immigration and cultural diversity, English and its mastery are an important part of educational development.
An ESL program is coursework designed to help students who are looking to learn English as their second, third, or in some cases, fourth language. These programs utilize teachers that are often bilingual who are there to help students to develop their:
-
speaking
-
writing
-
reading
-
listening skills
About one in five children in the United States speak a language other than English at home, and about half are not yet considered proficient in English. Students who do not speak English proficiently when they enter school are considered English learners.
When English learners master the language, they are "reclassified" and no longer receive specific services to support their language development. Prior research has found that it takes roughly four to seven years for most students to master a second language.
Students who do not master English in that typical window, generally by the upper elementary grades, are less likely to ever do so. Those who do not master the language and remain English learners tend to score lower on academic tests and graduate high school at lower rates than their native-English-speaking peers.
