ELL's

There will be no pattern to the postings I create. They'll just come to me and maybe I'll organize them later. So, this first post I want to dedicate to the wonderful group of students that the government and school systems call ELL's or English Langauge Learners. (I personally hate labeling in any form, but you do what you have to).

For those of you who don't know what an ELL student is, they are an English Language Learner who comes from a background and/or home where English is not the primary language, whether they are immigrants to America or just natural born citizens that didn't grow up speaking English. Over 20% of the population of public schools are ELL's. Some believe that having ELL students in the schools robs native English speakers of a well-rounded education. That's not true. I am currently working on an Elementary Education degree and I'm finishing up my minor, my TESOL endorsement, the endorsement that qualifies me to appropriately address the needs of and teach ELL students. With more ELL students in the schools, more teachers are encouraged to get this endorsement. Having this endorsement not only aids in the education of ELL students, but it is beneficial to ALL students. The skills and techniques I have learned benefit all students at all levels of language ability. ELL's are not ruining education. They are helping us to improve. In many cases, they and their families have come to America to have that opportunity to have a better education. EVERYONE has the right to an education. And as a teacher, it is not only my legal obligation but my moral obligation to provide the best education I can for each and every student that walks through my classroom door.

Not only are they helping teachers improve education, think about all the cultural benefits. I personally think that America is one of the most closed minded countries about accepting other cultures (PERSONAL opinion). What better way to introduce a variety of cultures to our younger generations than to include ELL's and their families in our education system and our communities?

To think that students and their families should learn a language before moving to a country so as to be successful may think they have the right idea. However, that is not realistic in any sense of the idea. A language is best learned when an individual is immersed in the language and culture of the desired language. It takes anywhere between 6 months and 2 years to develop what is called BICS or Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. This is the everyday language that ELL's will pick up fairly quickly as they interact with peers in a social context. I like to nickname BICS "playground language." After BICS is developed, it takes another 5 to 7 years to develop CALP, Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, or all the technical vocabulary used in academic context. So yeah, go ahead and try to learn a new language before you move to that new country...

To finish up my TESOL endorsement I am currently working with several ELL students at an Elementary school where there are over 200 ELL students. These students have come from all walks of life and have gone through things I will never be able to imagine. They are smart and intelligent kids just like the native English speaking kids. They are here for an education. And I can give that to them.