ESL Models
ESL Programs, unlike bilingual programs, are usually used in districts where the language minority population is very diverse. ESL programs can help accommodate students with different language backgrounds while in the same class as their non ESL peers, and teachers are not required to be proficient in ESL students native language(s). The Center for Applied Linguistics explains ways todays schools help cater to the needs of the rising number of ESL students in public schools across the US. These models are ways schools can help meet the needs for ESL students:
ESL pull-out: "is generally used in elementary school settings. Students spend part of the school day in a mainstream classroom, but are pulled out for a portion of each day to receive instruction in English as a second language. Although schools with a large number of ESL students may have a full-time ESL teacher, some districts employ an ESL teacher who travels to several schools to work with small groups of students scattered throughout the district" (Reenie).
ESL class period "is generally used in middle school settings. Students receive ESL instruction during a regular class period and usually receive course credit. They may be grouped for instruction according to their level of English proficiency" (Reenie).
The ESL resource center "is a variation of the pull-out design, bringing students together from several classrooms or schools. The resource center concentrates ESL materials and staff in one location and is usually staffed by at least one full-time ESL teacher (Reenie)."
However, some of these models or programs provide no instruction in the students native language. Instead, instruction is adapted to help meet the needs of individual students who are not yet proficient in English.
Sheltered English or content "based programs group language minority students from different language backgrounds together in classes where teachers use English as the medium for providing content area instruction, adapting their language to the proficiency level of the students. They may also use gestures and visual aids to help students understand. Although the acquisition of English is one of the goals of sheltered English and content-based programs, instruction focuses on content rather than language" (Reenie).
Structured immersion programs "use only English, but there is no explicit ESL instruction. As in sheltered English and content-based programs, English is taught through the content areas. Structured immersion teachers have strong receptive skills in their students' first language and have a bilingual education or ESL teaching credential. The teacher's use of the children's first language is limited primarily to clarification of English instruction. Most students are mainstreamed after 2 or 3 years" (Reenie).
*Program information found at: http://www.cal.org/index.html
ESL pull-out: "is generally used in elementary school settings. Students spend part of the school day in a mainstream classroom, but are pulled out for a portion of each day to receive instruction in English as a second language. Although schools with a large number of ESL students may have a full-time ESL teacher, some districts employ an ESL teacher who travels to several schools to work with small groups of students scattered throughout the district" (Reenie).
ESL class period "is generally used in middle school settings. Students receive ESL instruction during a regular class period and usually receive course credit. They may be grouped for instruction according to their level of English proficiency" (Reenie).
The ESL resource center "is a variation of the pull-out design, bringing students together from several classrooms or schools. The resource center concentrates ESL materials and staff in one location and is usually staffed by at least one full-time ESL teacher (Reenie)."
However, some of these models or programs provide no instruction in the students native language. Instead, instruction is adapted to help meet the needs of individual students who are not yet proficient in English.
Sheltered English or content "based programs group language minority students from different language backgrounds together in classes where teachers use English as the medium for providing content area instruction, adapting their language to the proficiency level of the students. They may also use gestures and visual aids to help students understand. Although the acquisition of English is one of the goals of sheltered English and content-based programs, instruction focuses on content rather than language" (Reenie).
Structured immersion programs "use only English, but there is no explicit ESL instruction. As in sheltered English and content-based programs, English is taught through the content areas. Structured immersion teachers have strong receptive skills in their students' first language and have a bilingual education or ESL teaching credential. The teacher's use of the children's first language is limited primarily to clarification of English instruction. Most students are mainstreamed after 2 or 3 years" (Reenie).
*Program information found at: http://www.cal.org/index.html