DeKalb Technical College runs the largest adult English as a Second Language program in the state, enrolling about 2,000 students at any one time at seven campuses, said Diane Hunter, lead ESL teacher for the Clarkston daytime program. The college’s program at Clarkston International Bible Church, behind City Hall, has about 500 students. As many as 70 percent are refugees, most living in the Clarkston area. It’s a jumble of people from war-torn countries: Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan and Vietnam. New waves of students hail from Myanmar and Burundi. (more…)

search for : DeKalb Technical College, English as a Second Language

Six state education agencies serving an estimated 320,000 English language learners (ELL) have formed an independent English Language Proficiency Collaboration and Research Consortium (ELPCRC) to collaborate, provide unified representation, and undertake studies and research for the improvement of ELL testing and instruction. All six states implement CTB/McGraw-Hill’s LAS Links English language proficiency assessment for their statewide English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. They are uniting based on this common platform to ensure a greater level of consistency, uniformity and quality in their programs. (more…)

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Korea, the Philippines’ largest single source of tourists, is now bringing in droves not just holidaymakers but also students who wish to learn the English language. Students account for 15-17 percent of Korean tourists in the Philippines, according to the Philippine tourism attaché in Seoul, Maricon Basco-Ebron. As of April, 14,400 Korean visitors have arrived here to enroll in language institutions or universities around the country. “They like the Philippines because everybody speaks English. It’s easier to learn; they get to practice everywhere,” Ebron, who also heads the Department of Team’s Team Korea, said at the recent Korea Student Fair held in Seoul, a biannual event that brings together schools all over the world to attract students who wish to study abroad. (more…)

A few days before Thanksgiving, a small group of Grainwood Elementary School students gathered around a table to read a story about the holiday. Third-graders Tommy Hua, Rumyana Osegard, and Cielo Benitez were all familiar with Thanksgiving traditions, although it isn’t part of their original cultures. More than 200 English Language Learners in the school district tackle a bilingual environment every day. About 15 different languages are spoken in school hallways locally. These students come from a variety of backgrounds, said Sharon Boyer-Jacobs, student services coordinator for the Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools. (more…)

Outside of school, teacher Miguel De Mott’s students have an easier time communicating. His students are bilingual and at home, most of their parents speak Spanish. “That can sometimes be a barrier,” said De Mott, an ESL or English as a second language teacher at Marion High School. Four flags hang in De Mott’s classroom: American, Mexican, Puerto Rican and Chinese. He hangs a flag for the countries of origin his students represent. If they leave or graduate, the bilingual students sign the flag and send it with the student. “This is a program that helps whether they’re Spanish (speaking) or not,” De Mott said. “It’s not a color thing, it’s a language thing.” (more…)

search for : ESL, English as a second language teacher

or new Canadians like Nasrin Ahmed, taking English as a Second LanguageEnglish as a Second Language (ESL) courses is about much more than learning a new language. It’s also about understanding the culture and being prepared for — and feeling confident about — finding a job. “I have been actively looking for a job and I find ESL is very effective to get me involved in the conversation during (my) job search,” Ahmed says. “This course is giving us the opportunity to interact with one another and understand Canadian English, society and culture.” Each year, Ontario welcomes 140,000 immigrants, reports Sharon Rajabi, president of Teachers of ESL (TESL) Ontario. About 100,000 of those take ESL lessons through the association. “Because more people are aware of TESL Ontario, more people are taking lessons,” Rajabi says. “For adults, it directly ties to their settlement. Language is culture. Now matter how educated you are, you need to understand the culture to feel settled.” (more…)

search for : English as a Second Language, ESL

Austin Public Schools implemented a new foreign language program this year for kindergarten through second grade. Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools is a program funded through integration dollars the district received from the Minnesota Department of Education beginning this school year. The response from students has been outstanding. Students are saying “Hola!” and “Adios!” as they walk through the hallways, and they have already begun to develop the basic skills to learn a foreign language. It is simply amazing to watch the excitement as they learn a foreign language. (more…)

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An Australian educator has urged the Irish bishops to re-examine their policy on teaching English in schools, in light of the recent wave of immigration to Ireland. Speaking at a three-day conference on migration hosted by the Irish Bishops’ Commission for Emigrants, Professor Desmond Cahill, from RMIT University in Melbourne said that that education and language are central to the integration challenge facing Ireland and that even generous financial resources are no substitute for well-informed policy in this area. Referring to the fact that there is currently no recognized degree-level course in Ireland for teaching English as a second language, Professor Cahill pointed out that: “the teaching of English as a second language to schoolchildren is a highly specialised skill. Teachers in Ireland need not only support regarding this challenge but they all require specialist training. (more…)

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