Programs and services for English language learners in California elementary schools

English Language Learners in the California Elementary School

In recent years, learning English as a second language has become a significant issue in the California elementary schools. Ensuring that all California students learn both English and academic content has proved to be a challenging task, and there are many opinions regarding the most appropriate means of achieving this goal.. This is an unenvious task, for almost a million and a half children attend public schools knowing little or no English. Additionally, an estimated 70% of them are in elementary grades, and over a million live in Spanish-speaking households (E-Source Online, 2005). In the California elementary schools, there are several different programs for English language learners, however, the school districts which provide these services have limited resources. California elementary schools face a formidable task, especially against the backdrop of a push for raising standards, new measures of student achievement, and unpredictable changes in law and policy.

Research indicates that almost a quarter of the kindergarten through twelfth grade students in California cannot function academically in English, and thus have been termed "English Language Learners (ELL) (E-Source Online, 2005)." The number of students who still need to learn English has more than doubled in the past ten years (E-Source Online, 2005). Not all of them are immigrants, as some were born as American citizens to parents who are not fluent in English. Although nearly 40% are in Los Angeles County, the impact of the increase in non-English speaking pupils affects schools just about everywhere in the state (E-Source Online, 2005). Two-thirds of the current English language learners are in grades K-6, and the other third are in grades seven through twelve. The educational needs of the younger children who must learn to read as well as learn a new language must be addressed in the most effective way possible.

The opportunity for achievement as well as failure in the California classroom is dependent on the method of teaching and learning English as a second language. Bilingual education most commonly refers to a range of instruction provided to students who need to learn English. Services vary from specially tailored classes in English, to a little help in the student's primary language, to most academic instruction in that primary language (E-Source Online, 2005). The effectiveness of various program models for language minority students remains the subject of controversy. Although there may be reasons to claim the superiority of one program model over another in certain situations, a variety of programs can be effective (Rennie, 2004). This paper will analyze, compare, and comment on the effectiveness of several different methods of teaching California elementary students English as a second language.

One of the main methods of instruction of English as a second language is termed "ESL Pull-out," which consists of a specially designed English instruction with primary language support. ESL Pull-out is used generally in elementary school settings, in which students spend part of the day in a mainstream classroom and are "Pulled out" for a portion of the day to receive instruction. Instruction for these students is mostly in English, but some of it is in the students' native language. The special assistance from bilingual teachers or aides can be within a classroom or in pull-out classes during the school day or week. Research indicates that about 22% of English as a second language students are served by this type of program (E-Source Online, 2005).

ESL programs are most likely to be used in districts where the language minority population is very diverse and represents many different languages. ESL programs can accommodate students from different language backgrounds in the same class, and teachers do not need to be proficient in the home language(s) of their students. 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. 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.

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 (Rennie, 2004). Material resources also influence the type of program that a district or school may be able to provide. Districts with declining enrollments may have classroom space available for magnet programs or ESL resource centers (Rennie, 2004). Other districts may be so overcrowded they cannot even find a classroom to accommodate ESL pull-out classes (Rennie, 2004).

Another method, called "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 (Rennie, 2004). The teacher's use of the children's first language is limited primarily to clarification of English instruction, and most students are mainstreamed after 2 or 3 years (Rennie, 2004). Some experts disagree with ESL pull-out and believe that total immersion into the English language helps children learn the language better (Hawkins, 2001). Research indicates that teaching children by total immersion into the language will help the immigrant child grasp the language through real life experience and by associating word meaning with the actual concept (Hawkins, 2001).

2001 study conducted by Hawkins investigated the effect of total language immersion as opposed to ESL pullout programs on the achievement of eighth grade immigrant students in a rural American school. The review of related literature supported the idea that total language immersion was more beneficial than ESL pullout programs for immigrant students who were mainstreamed into the American school system (Hawkins, 2001). In the study, two groups of students were given an essay pre-test in August. The experimental group was mainstreamed within the regular classroom population while the non-experimental group was pulled out of the regular classroom and instructed by the ESL teacher using a regular classroom teacher's lesson plans (Hawkins, 2001). Both groups of students were instructed at similar times of the day using the identical lessons and assignments. In December, both groups were tested using an essay post-test and graded the same way as the pre-test. The results of the study concluded that the total immersion was more effective in raising the written essay scores of the experimental group (Hawkins, 2001).

Some programs provide neither instruction in the native language nor direct instruction in ESL. Another form of instruction is adapted to meet the needs of students who are not proficient in English, is "S.D.A.I.E," which stands for Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English. This method of learning is also referred to as Sheltered English or content-based programs. S.D.A.I.E. instruction groups 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.

S.D.A.I.E. is a beneficial method for students learning English as their second language, as it allows them to move forward with academic courses such as mathematics and science while at the same time learning English through the contextual clues provided by the course of study (Hawkins, 2001). The two major components that impact the S.D.A.I.E. classroom are "comprehensible second language input" and a "supportive affective environment (Hawkins, 2001)." Teacher training in S.D.A.I.E. methodology revolves around those two statements since successful lesson design and course development hinge upon the teacher's ability to provide these two key elements (Hawkins, 2001).

Nearly one-third of the students who need to learn English are in regular structured immersion English-language classes with instruction geared to their proficiency (E-Source Online, 2005). About 20% have both ESL and S.D.A.I.E, where primary language support is not included (E-Source Online, 2005). There are bilingual program models which use the students' home language, in addition to English, for instruction. These programs are most easily implemented in districts with a large number of students from the same language background (Hawkins, 2001). Students in bilingual programs are grouped according to their first language, and teachers must be proficient in both English and the students' home language.

Early-exit bilingual programs are designed to help children acquire the English skills required to succeed in an English-only mainstream classroom. These programs provide some initial instruction in the students' first language, primarily for the introduction of reading, but also for clarification. Instruction in the first language is phased out rapidly, with most students mainstreamed by the end of first or second grade. The choice of an early-exit model may reflect community or parental preference, or it may be the only bilingual program option available in districts with a limited number of bilingual teachers (Hawkins, 2001).