English Language Learners: A Conceptual Analysis

As our nation shifts towards a more culturally diverse population both educators and families have to find a common ground to ensure that English Language Learners are academically successful. All stakeholders must carefully consider the social cultural impact on an ELL education. The process of raising bilingual learners take more than a language a school and a language learned at home. The transition must have a purpose and a goal.

When an educator walks into her classroom for the first time, she needs to be prepared to encounter students that come from a variety of backgrounds. The children will be in different stages of language development, and the educator must accommodate for each of these students. Magruder, Hayslip, Espinosa, and Matera (2013) state, “The US Census Bureau projects that by the 2030s, children whose home language is other than English will increase from roughly 22 percent to 40 percent of the school-age population” (p. 9). This increase in second language learners will cause the educator to accommodate for those needs. Second language learners “need teachers who welcome them and recognize their unique abilities, what they know, and what they need to learn” (Magruder, Hayslip, Espinosa, and Matera, 2013, p. 10).

Diverse cultures within the United States are rapidly developing and growing and the educational sector is the number one target to ensure that English –learners are receiving adequate education. Within the educational sector there are administrators and teachers who are involved in students lives on a daily basis to ensure that education is equal. In order to achieve the vital objective of equality, socio-cultural influences on ELL students, bilingualism and home language use, parental and community resources, and partnerships between families and schools all have to be considered to provide an opportunity for equal education.

The United States is continuing to grow in the number of families that are immigrating to our country. According to Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2007), “As of 2000, there were approximately 107,000 immigrant elementary students and 100,000 middle and high school students in Washington State, based on U.S. Census data.” Children from these families enter our educational system knowing very little English and they are considered to be an English Language Learner (ELL) defined by “those whose primary language is a language other than English and who have English language skill deficiencies that impair their learning in regular classrooms” (Malagon, McCold, Hernandez, 2011, p. IV). While parents truly believe their children will receive a better education in the United States as oppose to the country they came from, English Language Learner students face a number of everyday challenges while at school. These challenges go beyond learning the English language; they include the struggles that are faced not only academically, but socially as well. English Language Learner students face these day-to-day problems due to their inability to express their ideas and thoughts, along with not being able to communicate substantially and identify with the people in their community.

The mere reference to the label given to students acquiring the English language potentially sparks debate amongst educators, policy makers and researchers. The federal government refers to these students as Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. This identification references the deficiencies the student may have rather than to identify the diversity and gifts that the student may possess. Such labels set premature limitations of the student and predisposes the student to limited rigor in instruction. Educators and researchers reference the same subgroup of students as ELLs, establishing the understanding that with sufficient support, increased rigor and cultural understanding, students will succeed.

English language learners are students whose first language is not English. Consequently, ELLs have lower reading ability levels compared to non-English learners (Begeny, Ross, Green, Mitchell, & Whitehouse, 2012; Ross & Begeny, 2011). In addition, different ELL categories exist: long-term ELLs, migrant ELLs, and transnational ELLs. Long-term ELLs are United States citizens who have been enrolled in American schools since kindergarten; however, these students are classified as limited English proficient because they have not successfully acquired English during their elementary years. Furthermore, transnational ELLs move back and forth from their native country to the United States; therefore, the constant move between countries inhibit

English Language Learners face a variety of unique challenges when compared to their non-ELL peers. For example, when assessing new English Language Learners, once such challenge is the lack of effective assessment tools. Many of the available instruments are not culturally relevant to the ELL student’s background, nor created at an appropriate level for their developing English language skills. Another challenge is the lack of availability of qualified education professionals, who are equipped to meet their specific needs linguistically. Language and cultural differences may serve to put ELL students at an academic disadvantage, regardless of whether they possess normal cognitive skills. For the educator and student alike, this matter is further complicated when an ELL is affected by a learning disability. In this essay, I will discuss some special factors and issues that an ELL professional may encounter when assessing an ELL student, and attempting to determine the cause of a language difficulty; whether it occurs because of normal language acquisition issues, or because of an underlying learning disability that calls for special education intervention and support.

They may feel socially isolated. They may even have an adequate social or conversational English ability, but have inadequate academic or classroom English. From personal experience, I know that many ELLs live in poverty environments, or in sub-cultures where they do not regularly visit with main-stream English speakers. They typically speak in their native tongues, and often associate with people who primarily, or only speak their native tongue. These types of challenges are mostly culturally based and as a result, may hamper, or delay, the students’ ability to learn and master the English language.

Navarrete, Lori, Nevada State College,Watson, M.R Silvana,, Old Dominion University, Council for Learning Disabilities, English Language Learners:The Impact of Language and SocioCultural Factors on Learning, (August

Table Three examines the SBAC data by analyzing English Learners (EL) versus non –EL. Some of the data has been suppressed by Edsight however there is enough data to form an opinion about how the impact of the ELA curriculum on the EL population. Following grade three cohort from 2014-2017 shows that this group of students had no significant crease in their ELA scores. On the 2015 assessment only 5.1 percent were proficient or above, 13.8 percent in 2016 and the number drops back down to 5.6 in 2017. Based on the data provided the EL population never cross 18 percent of students who are proficient. This demonstrates that the ELA curriculum is not serving the population. It can also show that the scaffolds and strategies that are embedded

During the 1990s the immigrant population expanded quickly and by a large amount. According to Eggen and Kauchak (2007) “experts estimate that by the year 2020 two thirds of the school population will be African American, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American. This means there will be great cultural diversity in our society and in our schools.” Educators will need to be educated on how to teach in a diverse classroom. Teachers will need to have an understanding for English-language learning children and the way they learn. All educators must be able to teach ELL students while encouraging them to continue to use their native language while learning to speak English. Teachers must also remember to try to keep all families

The education system around the world has progressed and changed in a plentiful amount of ways, and the concept of knowledge and learning has changed in modern day. For example, certain schools around the globe are moving on to implementing technology in classrooms because it provides many benefits and statistical research that states how students are improving their academic readiness because of the instant access to information, a greater engagement and interactive process in learning, and the personalization that instructors can do towards the educational experience that students receive. The benefits of technology in class can be rather debatable, for there are people who think it's a distraction, but it certainly seems to be beneficial according to the increase of passing percentages in schools.

Most students today use technology throughout their school day. Uses for technology can be found for every subject matter a student has. Some of the most widely used tools are found in the English and Language Arts classes. Writing on word processors allows students to cut-and-paste, save their work, and use spell checkers and thesauruses. With technology students are also given advantages in learning how to read. Reading programs use

All of the students attended a public middle school located in a suburban school district at a California Distinguished School. The school serves roughly 900 students that make up an ethnically and linguistically diverse student population. The following criteria were used to select participants for the study: (a) English learners enrolled in English language development (ELD) classes and (b) parental consent. Of this population, the ages ranged from 11 years of age to 15 years of age.

The world is becoming more globally diverse with inventions like the internet enabling communication all across the global in mere seconds. With new interpreting apps even being in a foreign country no longer has a language barrier for tourist encouraging more travel. Schools across the United States are reflecting this trend as teachers are more likely to encounter students who know more than one language or who are learning English as a second language. Having students who are English second language learners (ESL) in the classroom changes the learning environment as different teaching techniques are used. In some subjects like math these teaching techniques can change in a minute ways from how the teacher would normally teach making it inconspicuous. Yet in subjects such as writing the whole process in teaching drastically alters as teacher have to new knowledge barriers to overcome with ESL students. These changes in way teachers teach writing caused by ESL students can benefit all students especially in elementary school in comprehending writing skills.