❝The Limits of my Language are the Limits of my World.❞
English Language Learners (ELL) are the fastest growing population of students in the United States!!!
- The number of school-age children (children ages 5–17) who spoke a language other than English at home rose from 4.7 to 11.2 million between 1980 and 2009, or from 10 to 21 percent of the population in this age range.
- School enrollment rates for these children increased from 90 to 93 percent between 1980 and 2009.
Unfortunately, meeting the needs of these students is often encountered with abundant challenges!!!
- Fewer schools offer effective ELL instructional programs.
- Only a small portion of general education classroom teachers have received the appropriate credentialing to work with this population of students.
- Various educational laws prohibit the use of effective ELL instructional methods.
As a result, the public education system is failing to meet the needs of many ELL students!!!
ELL Students...
- perform inadequately on state standardized assessments.
- continually decline in academic growth.
- disproportionately attend high poverty schools.
- represent extremely high dropout rates.
- often fail to reach English proficiency.
The rapid and continuous growth in the ELL student population all over the United States demands educator attention. It is the responsibility of educators to provide students with an efficient education. Although numerous laws and policies have been implemented in order to provide an equal education to ELL students, discrimination continues to be evident in the unsuccessful attempts to educationally meet the needs of this student population.
The English Language Learner Education Website provides information regarding the importance of meeting the needs of these students. The education of ELL students is often a misunderstood topic yet a topic of great importance. Through discussing the Achievement Gap, ELL Instructional Programs, BICS and CALP, ELL Characteristics, ELL Educational Law, Teaching Strategies, and Resources, I hope to provide the necessary materials to motivate educators, lawmakers, and parents to provide an appropriate, effective, and beneficial education for ELL students.