March 2007
Monthly Archive
30 Mar 2007 08:09 am
Class helps Spanish speakers hone English skills
| It’s a class that improves communication between family members, helps people get jobs and makes daily tasks easier. But it’s not a life skills course, it doesn’t cover career preparation, and parenting isn’t included in any of the lesson plans. Escondido English! teaches native Spanish speakers the basics of the English language. It includes a televised one-hour class on Cox Cable Channel 19, weekly in-class instruction and homework from a workbook. The program, a collaboration between the city of Escondido and Escondido Adult Education, began in mid-February. |
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search for : Escondido English! teaches native Spanish speakers, English language
29 Mar 2007 07:30 am
Government, Employers, Citizens, All Should Promote English
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Unquestionably any individual fluent in English and living in this country, the language of which is English (whether fluent in one or more other languages, such as Spanish), will have a greater chance at a successful life, culturally and economically, than one lacking English fluency. A successful impetus to learn English necessarily must comprise two elements: opportunity and self-recognized need.More and more educational programs offer English as a second language. Yet unquantifiable millions of Latino or Hispanic immigrants, lawful and unlawful, cannot make their way in English. Thus, more education is required. |
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search for : English as a second language
28 Mar 2007 07:55 am
Teens tutor Spanish-speaking elementary students in English
| Jared Delgado reads simple phrases from a children’s book. “I like to run. I like to sleep. I like to eat,” he says, reading aloud in Southport Elementary School’s ocean-themed library on Monday. Jared practices writing the alphabet. He can also count. And the 5-year-old can do it in two languages - English and Spanish. Jared, a native Spanish speaker, is one of six students at the school tutored on Monday mornings by high school students studying Spanish at nearby South Brunswick High School. The teens help the children read, write and count in English. The tutors are part of a pilot program that started in January to see whether more teen tutors should be added to help native Spanish speakers learn English as the number of students speaking a foreign language in the district grows. Teens from South Brunswick also tutor non-native English speakers at Bolivia Elementary School |
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search for : Spanish, studying Spanish, South Brunswick High School, Spanish speakers, Bolivia Elementary School
27 Mar 2007 07:35 am
Del Rio’s schools struggle with English as a Second Language program
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English as a Second Language. Just the title suggests a huge learning curve that transcends artificial distinctions between home, classroom, and social life. But it is reduced – for the sake of convenience – to a poorly understood abbreviation: ESL. In fact, two terms are used. “Bilingual” refers to language proficiency efforts from Pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and ESL signifies more advanced emphasis, sixth- through 12th grade. San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District is now under a federal microscope to examine whether teachers and the administration can recover from a poor record for bringing Spanish-speaking students up to academic par with English speakers. Not to improve could mean a loss of certain administrative controls and federal funding on which the district depends. |
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search for : ESL, Bilingual
26 Mar 2007 07:26 am
Uncertified teachers not offered extensions
| Each spring, the Nacogdoches ISD board of trustees receives several resignations from teachers who are planning to relocate, retire or change careers. So far, 32 teachers are not returning for the 2007-2008 school year, out of 446 throughout the district. Of those, 13 were teachers who needed to complete their state teacher’s certification and were not offered a contract extension. “What we want is highly qualified, certified teachers in every classroom,” said Assistant Superintendent G.W. Neal, who heads the human resources department. “It doesn’t mean they’re not good teachers, it just means that they’re not certified.” In the early fall, the district sent letters to every teacher and informed them that uncertified teachers’ contracts would not be extended, and a follow-up letter was sent in January, according to NISD superintendent Dr. Rodney Hutto. According to state education standards, Hutto said, districts must send letters to each parent who has a child being taught by an uncertified teacher for more than a month. |
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24 Mar 2007 06:41 pm
Say it in English
| According to the survey of more than 1,200 Illinois residents age 18 or older, 32 percent said they considered illegal immigration a “big problem,” with another 34 percent of respondents saying it is at least “somewhat” of a problem. The Illinois Policy Survey — an annual report that measures opinions on such issues as the economy, education and other social issues — also asked people their opinion on making English an official language. Almost 70 percent of respondents said they think English should be designated the official language of Illinois. (They’re in luck — it was, in 1969.) In the collar counties, 63 percent said it should be their local community’s official language. Two-thirds of respondents said businesses that hire illegal aliens should be punished. The survey, conducted by telephone from November 2006 to January 2007, has a 3 percent margin of error. |
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search for : English an official language
23 Mar 2007 07:34 am
ESL pays off now and in the future
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The adult English as a Second Language program began several years ago in Plainview, which is now part of the Plainview-Elgin-Millville school district. One of the six students earlier this month was Maria Romero, 33, who said she came to Plainview from Mexico City with her then-boyfriend and now husband. She has a 10-month-old son and stays at home to care for him, she said in Spanish, with Torres translating to English. Her husband works on a farm near Altura. And she likes Plainview. “It is a very peaceful, tranquil town,” she said. But it’s also a town where few speak Spanish, so she comes to the classes to try to learn English. |
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search for : English as a Second Language
22 Mar 2007 08:06 am
English as a second language classes offered
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Learning Source offers great resource for employees!
Adults in Jefferson County who wish to learn and improve their English skills or obtain an equivalency diploma are invited to register for low-cost classes at the Learning Source, 455 S. Pierce St. in Lakewood.
If you or some of your employees would benefit from these classes, please call 303-922-4683 or visit www.coloradoliteracy.org for class schedules and enrollment information. |
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