Study after study shows that that kids learned to read better through immersion. Not a single study found the reverse. Regarding English as a Second Language students, research shows that it takes five to seven years for a student to master English well enough to succeed in a mainstream classroom, while the immersion approach that aims to mainstream the kids within a year or two. Not only is immersion more effective, it is less expensive on the school district, which ultimately means U46 will not have to put an already monumental burden on homeowners through property taxes.

Having brought these facts to light, it makes one wonder why all the fuss at letting 11 teachers aides go at Channing Memorial Elementary School. What U46 should do is cancel its bilingual program and embrace the immersion approach — that is, if the teachers, students, and parents really care about the education of their children. They seem to be content with the ever-so-slow and minimal advances that are achieved by the ESL bilingual program in place. (more…)

It helps immensely when reading texts in another language if the students have already been exposed to the text in their own language. This eliminates the need to explain the plot as you go and helps you focus on your real goal: the language. It also lets you examine English grammar before going into Spanish grammar, which sets up the schema that students will need in order to understand what is being said. A book that holds a student’s attention the whole time is, of course, very preferable, and Harry Potter is famous worldwide many would say for that very reason.

The new vocabulary in the Harry Potter books tends to stick around through the whole series, which is a great benefit. Lechuza (owl) and escoba (broom) are great examples. Many of the other new vocabulary words are more specific ways of describing words that students would already know, like vagar (to roam or wander) instead of andar (to walk) or enterarse (to find out about or become aware of something) instead of darse cuenta (to realize). (more…)

When Heather Itle starts her seventh year as a teacher next week, she’ll be traveling to three schools each day. That number barely compares to the list of languages she’ll hear once she arrives: Cantonese, German, Hindi, Spanish and Vietnamese, just to name a few.

Itle, 31, of Churchill teaches English as a Second Language for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. During her five years there, she has worked in nine school districts, mostly throughout the South Hills and Mon Valley. “Almost for every individual student, they come with their own language,” Itle said. “It’s challenging, but because of the fact you’re working with much smaller groups, you have a lot more time and energy to devote to those students’ needs.” (more…)

Arizona public schools have struggled with how to pay for a new state program teaching immigrant students English, especially since districts requested around $300 million but received only $40 million.

At Arizona’s largest district, with 73,000 students, for example, Mesa Public Schools administrators received $1.8 million in state money for the new English-learner program, but they expect to spend about $7 million.

It meant digging to find another $5.2 million out of a slim budget, which already had to be cut by $13 million. More than 100 district positions were left unfilled, including associate superintendent and school librarians. (more…)

Madera Madera is one of thousands of Lawrence High School alumni who have participated in the Accept the Challenge program at Merrimack. The program accepts freshmen and sophomore English-as-a-second-language students, who attend language skills classes two to four days a week after school in Lawrence.

Merrimack students are paired up with Lawrence students to mentor, tutor, and assist them with homework and problem-solving techniques.

The Lawrence students live on Merrimack’s campus for five weeks in the summer, with underclassmen honing their English conversation skills and upperclassmen learning about local history, American literature and politics. (more…)

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Twelve years after arriving in Canada from Cambodia, Sorem Vann is starting to smile in English.

Four years after arriving in Canada from Sudan, so is Parmino Pul.

Well, they’re starting to smile while speaking English.

Yesterday, the two were among 13 employees to complete an English as a Second Language course at a London meat-processing factory with hundreds of workers whose first language isn’t English.

The class was a result of a partnership between the Thames Valley District school board and food giant Cargill. (more…)

As more and more students who are learning English as a second language show up in Roanoke schools, teachers and administrators are increasingly relying on summer classes like this one to help them master the language and the skills they will need during the school year. A few months ago, Manishimwe Leoncia and the other refugee and immigrant children at Fallon Park could barely speak English. Soon they’ll be chattering away with their friends and teachers.

It’s because of English Language Learners summer school, a monthlong program that ends today and which draws children from all over Roanoke to help them learn English. (more…)

Sibling rivalry doesn’t seem to be part of the picture as 17-year-old Milton Quinteros and 18-year-old Transito Quinteros work to improve their English this summer.

The brother and sister, who moved here with their family from El Salvador about a year ago, consistently pair up during activities in their summer English-as-a-second-language class—a five-hour-a-day, six-week reading class at Park View High School in this suburban Virginia community about a 30-mile drive west of the nation’s capital. (more…)