Students
Pedagogy
Research
Public Opinion
Assessment & Accountability
100
Who are English Language Learners?
Immigrants acquiring English as their second language.
100
How does native language teaching help ELLs acquire English?
Studies have shown that ELLS who receive more native language instruction in well implemented bilinqual programs typically learn more academic English than those in all English programs.
100
Are all bilingual program models equally effective?
No, research findings have been more positive for developmental bilingual education than for transitional bilingual education.
100
Why did the "English for the children" initiatives pass?
Most people thought they were voting for English. Voters mostly agreed that if you live in America, you need to speak English.
100
Has the No Child Left Behind Act proved to be an effective way to hold schools accountable in serving ELLs?
No, One problem is that this law contradicts the spirit of Lau v. Nichols. That is it fails to recognize the unique situation of ELLs, requiring them to meet the same targets for AYP, and in most cases, to take the same standardized tests as English background students.
200
What is limited English proficiency?
Those who come from language backgrounds other than Enbglish and whose difficulties in understanding, speaking, reading and writing English would prove to be difficult in the mainstream.
200
Does it help ELLS to practice speaking English as much as possible?
No, students often are very quiet during the process and then will begin to speak in full sentences. This is because they are acquiring the language. They cannot speak it often in the beginning stages because they are still learning how to use it correctly.
200
Are dual language programs the most effective?
Promising results have been reported to dual language, or two way libingual programs. They are designed to cultivate bilngualism among both English proficient and limited English proficiant students.
200
Does the federal government mandate bilingual education?
No. For a time during the late 1970's, the US Dept. of Education required school districts that had neglected ELLs needs to adopt bilingual education as part of an overall remedy for their civil rights violation.
200
Even if English-language achievement tests are inadequate for ELLs, what's the harm in using them?
Invalid and unreliable tests are worse than useless. They are demoralizing to teachers who know their students are being judged fairly, and they represent false information.
300
What are the dimensions of the ELL population?
One in ten Us students today and their numbers are growing rapidly.
300
How can phonics be counterproductive?
When too many rules are explicitly taught and are overly complex.
300
How long does it take to acquire a second language?
It varies. It takes some as little as a few months, but most need 2-4 years to carry on fluent conversations with native speakers.
300
Do states require schools to provide any particular instructional program for ELLs?
Most do not. A few states, including Texas, Illinois, and New Jersey enacted laws in the 1970's requiring bilingual education for ELL students under certain circumstances.
300
Should we scrap testing all together?
Certainly not. Only those tests should be used appropriately, to serve the purposes for which they were designed.
400
What are the challenges the increasing number of ELLs pose for the public schools?
Mobilizing adequate resources, finding appropriate materials and dealing with community concerns, recruiting and training sufficient numbers of qualified staff.
400
Are children in bilingual programs forbidden to read in English until they master reading in the native language?
Not at all. There is no reason to hold ELLS back in developing English literacy.
400
Isn't it important to teach English early, since young children are best at language acquisition?
Starting early is always a good idea, since full proficient in a language takes several years to acquire. However, studies have shown that older students can do as well or better in language acquisition.
400
Are schools responsible for educating undocumented immigrants?
Yes, under Plyer v/s Doe, a 1982 decision by the US Supreme Court, public schools may not discriminate on the basis of immigration status.
400
If not for high stakes purposes, how should tests for ELLs be used?
They should be used to generate meaningful data that will assist educators in better serving kids.
500
What is bilingual education?
The use of student's native language to accelerate English language development.
500
What is the second-language instructional competence (SLIC)?
SLIC refers to the level of language proficiency required to learn in English language classrooms.
500
Do some children fail to develop proficiency in any language?
Except in cases of developmental disability, all children come equipped with a fully functioning language acquisition device.
500
In practice, what must school districts do to meet their obligations?
Three things: programs for ELLs must be based on an educational theory recognized as sound by experts. Resources, personnel and practices must be reasonably calculated to implement the program effectively. Programs must be evaluated and, if necessary, restructured to ensure that language barriers are being overcome.
500
What makes bilingual education so politically controversial?
Clearly, there is more at stake in the debate than the best way to teach a second language. Bilingual education raises a whole host of larger questions such as immigrant rights and responsibilities, the role of English in our society and even what it means to be an American.
M
e
n
u