Teaching English As An International Language

English language learners (ELL) are one of the fastest growing classifications of students attending schools in the United States today. They represent a diverse group of students typically coming from homes or backgrounds where English is not the primary language spoken. Additionally, ELL students experience difficulties communicating or learning academic instruction in English.

ELL stands for English Language Learners and are often students from countries which do not speak English that come to school to learn not only the regular content that a school teaches but also the English language. One of the many issues teachers face in helping students learn the content in class is the challenge of integrating the students’ native language along with the content of the lesson. Studies have shown that “3 years of exposure to English is not long enough for all individual ELLs to catch up to their monolingual peers for all subdomains of language” (Paradis, 2016). To properly teach ELL students both content for subjects as well as the English language teachers need to help integrate English and the students’ native language

During the course entitled Diversity and Cultural Issues in TESOL Education, issues of diversity and culture, as well as methods, strategies, and approaches for engaging English language learners were examined. Students all over the world learn English for a variety of reasons. Some students must study English as a requirement. Other students wish to travel, study abroad, or work in the global marketplace where knowledge of the English language is seen as a prerequisite for success. Still other students have migrated to communities where English is spoken as the primary language. A school’s curriculum may be taught exclusively in English. Whatever the reasons for

With the immigration population increase comes a language barrier increase. Therefore, English as a Second Language (ESL) tools in the classroom is essential. ESL was established in the 1970s when children of many mother tongues, crowded classrooms due to the immigration increase (Tomkins, G., 1981, p.

The challenges an English language learner (ELL/ESL) struggles with, such as “how one flips from one language to another ultimately determines an English language learner’s success,” existed before the Common Core (Vilson). Other educators, like Lori Musso, have been working on implementing the Common Core for ELL students. Musso is with the San Mateo County Office of Education and has explained that the standards for ELL, and the standards for the general curriculum, have been merged into the same standards as their peers (Avendano). The executive director at Stanford University’s Understanding Language initiative, Martha Castellón, works to improve the education of ELL under the new Common Core. “We know what needs to be done in terms of educating ELLs, to give them the language skills they need to be successful under the [Common Core],” says Castellón, but she realizes that there’s a shortage in resources for the ELL instructors

ELLs face a series of adversities in their attempts to attain academic literacy and language development. For instance, they are exposed to curricula designed for monolingual English students. Another adversity is that teachers are not well prepared regarding the content-area they teach and consequently do not provide the needed explicit instruction (Ávalos, Zisselsberger, Langer-Osuna, & Secada, 2015 p.259). It is the task for teachers and school administrators to master the content of the area to be taught and to use optimal pedagogical practices which reflect such teachers’ knowledge (Ávalos, Zisselsberger, Langer-Osuna, & Secada, 2015 p.261). They should provide learners with favorable circumstances to attain English language and literacy

English is my native language. Aside from foreign language classes in high school and college I have never experienced dissonance between my native language and the dominant language in America. For the purpose of this interview, I created three main research areas related to learning about the ESL learners experience and how it aligns with course literature and concepts. The areas I was most interested in were: their transitions from their heritage language to English, their education experiences from early childhood up to adulthood, and finally how they view language and identity. Some examples of these questions include, “Can you tell me about your early experiences with English?” “How closely does your identity and language align?” and

However, mainstreaming of these students has led to high failure rates among these students. Statistically speaking, of the total amount of educators currently teaching, less than 30 % of educators those are qualified to teach these students. Correspondingly, Less than 17 percent of colleges offering certification have courses that prepare the students for working with ESL/ELL students. Of the total population of teachers on campus, less than 26% of the teachers have received professional development related to instructional practices for these students. Furthermore, out of the 50 states in the United States only 20 of these states require that teacher have training with working with ESL and ELL students as a requirement of for employment. Moreover, these ESL/ELL students had higher dropout rates as among other students in schools. Waggoner's (1999) nationwide study of new immigrant students in the US aged 14 to 19 showed that one in five foreign-born minority-Ll students were a dropout, whereas the dropout rate among monolingual English-speaking natives was one in 12. In New York State, 32% of LEP (limited English proficiency) students dropped out of high school in 2001 after the state began to require passing the academically demanding and rigorous examinations for high school graduation (Crawford, 2004); typically,

Many immigrants and refugees have come to the United States over the years. To put that into perspective, in the past thirty years, the foreign-born population of the United States has tripled, more than 14 million has moved here in the 1990’s, and another 14 million expected to arrive between 2000 and 2010. (James R, Stire). As you can imagine how much the numbers have continued to grow immigrants over the past ten years. Some would say that they are the new homogenous or indistinguishable population. Most English language learners (ELLs) are immigrants from many different countries speaking many different languages and equipped with a variety of gifts, talents, educational needs, goals, and backgrounds. Given that how has our education system helped support those who are ELLs academically based on the fact that most of our curriculum is taught in english following our culture's standards?

I was once often told that I will never be able to use English like a native speaker in my younger school years. English is my third language. To many linguist, I may be regarded as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student. There may even me preconceived prejudiced notions that I do not use English enough or that I do not have much use of English to be able to attain native-like proficiency in the language. I am one of the EFL learners of English who is not demotivated to learn and use the language despite obvious criticism at a young age.

ESL students are students that speak English as a second language. Presently, there is many different system to characterize this type of students (qtd in Shi, Steen 63). For example, they can be seen as “English Language Learners (ELL), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), English Language Development (ELD), English Language Service (ELS), and

The influence of language and power in the formation of identity can be well understood through discussion of English as a World language, the most dominant language in the world. In relations to world Englishes, Kachru, (1997) proposed three circles: Inner, Outer, and Expanding circle. The inner circle refers to norm providing with 375 million native speakers. It refers to the countries where English is spoken as the primary language of majority of the populations (ENL). Kachru (1997) emphasizes that UK, USA, New Zealand, Canada and Australia are the countries where English is spoken as a native language. The outer circle refers to norm developing with 350-450 million English as a second language speakers (ESL). It refers to those countries where English is used as an important and official language. According to Kachru (1997) these countries are ‘ex-colonies’ of Britain and the USA. Countries like India, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Nigeria use English as a second language. These countries serve their important business, official and international affairs in English. The extended circle refers to norm developing with 750 million English as foreign or International language speakers (EFL or EIL). It refers to those countries where English is spoken as a foreign language. Kachru (1997) identifies Bangladesh, Pakistan, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Middle East as EFL (English as a foreign language) countries. In these countries English is not used strongly but taught and

Several recent studies illustrate that student disaffection in English Language classrooms is a very real problem in many counties. In the following studies various terms are used to describe English Language Learning. The abbreviations: ESL (English as a Second Language), EFL (English as a Foreign Language), and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) are used within the context of each of the following studies in keeping with the original authors’ terminology. The common thread among these studies is a focus on disaffection and/or motivation of students learning English as a second or foreign language.

Globalization has also contributed to an increasing interest in English-language education worldwide. In response to the emergence of English as a world-linking, global language, an increasing number of schools have stepped up English–language requirements, even at undergraduate levels. The argument is that a universal teaching language is necessary as a natural consequence of globalization.

English serves as a global language and it is essential especially among different countries to have an effective communication. Learning English is a great tool among other countries to promote development in the English language during the previous decades. English language not just improved the educational level of a one’s country but also it had been raised political and cultural aspects which are very significant for most countries. The changes that the English language can conquer are that it would serve as a long-term change in a country because it supports growth technologically and socially.