New statistics which reveal the majority of pupils at 27 East Lancashire primary schools do not speak English as their first language have been labelled ‘misleading’. And headteachers said a child’s ability to speak two languages should be celebrated, not condemned.

Research has revealed at least 70per cent of children do not speak English as a first language at 592 of the country’s primary schools. Of those, 10 schools – including Burnley Stoneyholme Community School and Blackburn’s Brookhouse Primary School – have 100per cent of pupils with English as a second language. (more…)

Former President George W. Bush finished his tenure without having won congressional renewal of his No Child Left Behind policy, which in a seven-year span has increased nationwide tracking of student achievement.

With President Barack Obama now at the helm, Bush’s prized project is up for debate.

It’s unclear what Obama and just-confirmed U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will change in the policy; they’ll need support from Congress. But the new president has been critical of it, echoing teachers’ concerns about the costs of NCLB mandates for student improvement and the disparities in state standardized tests. (more…)

That was evident at the Language Forum, hosted by Realizing Our Community, the local nonprofit organization that works to build community and make connections between cultures. About 35 people attended the event Saturday morning in the University Center at the University of Northern Colorado.

Not only were Latino and Somali representatives on hand at the forum — designed to help them learn about local English as a second language classes and other language resources — but Burmese as well.

In the past three months, about 200 Burmese refugees have taken jobs on the second shift at the JBS Swift & Co. plant in Greeley, said Drucie Bathin, community education specialist for the Spring Institute, a Denver nonprofit that works with refugee populations. (more…)

In 2005, San Luis Potosi, Mexico had a population of approximately 2,410,414 people. In the years since, it has lost at least seven families to Chickasha, Okla. nearly 1,100 miles away. Maria, Lizbeth, Mayro, Muriana, Matilde,

Teresa and Maria Esther all came with their families to this rural community of approximately 16,000. Maria Esther said, “I wanted a better way of life and better opportunities for working and for my family. I wanted to see my family and there are better opportunities for jobs and education here.” (more…)

When Mayola Cruz came to America from Mexico three years ago, the only English she knew was what she’d learned in a few high school classes. It wasn’t much, she said. She’s picked up some English since living in America. This fall, however, she had a chance to improve and refine her grasp on her new language.

Cruz was one of 20 students enrolled in a new English as a Second Language course in Craig. Integrated Community, a local multicultural group, started offering the classes in September. (more…)

Jim D. Rollins had been superintendent of the Springdale public schools in northwest Arkansas for almost a decade when the mostly white community began its dramatic transformation into a booming gateway for immigrant families and their non-English-speaking children.

In 1990, the district, with just under 8,000 students, had virtually no English-language learners, or ELLs. By last fall, its English-learner population alone stood at 7,000 children—roughly 40 percent of the total enrollment of 17,400 students. (more…)

Reading street signs, ordering a meal at a restaurant or listening to a conversation on the street can be difficult for those who speak a language other than English. Not fluently understanding English can place a burden on someone financially or socially and can become, in some instances, a life-or-death situation.

A new study — titled Quality Counts 2009: Portrait of a Population: How English-language learners Are Putting States to the Test — shows there are 4.3 million students nationally and almost 17,000 in Alabama for whom English is their second language.

English-only initiatives have been on ballots in numerous states. On many state constitutions, English is designated as the official language — Alabama among them. If those that push for English-only initiatives expect everyone to speak the language, then the instruction should be there to teach those trying to learn English. (more…)

The special holiday edition of the Easy English Times brought Grossmont College student Amina Maronesy close to tears when she opened it.

The national publication for English as a Second Language students published one of her poems, which her former ESL teachers posted on bulletin boards.

“English is a very difficult language to learn,” said ESL instructor Mimi Pollack, who submitted Maronesy’s poems for publication. “It’s nice to see someone who has mastered the language enough that she’s writing poems in it. It’s an inspiration for (ESL) students.”

Maronesy, 44, who is from the Kurdistan region of Iraq, has overcome many obstacles as a refugee, Pollack said. Pollack calls Maronesy a role model for the 600 ESL students who enroll at Grossmont College every semester because she is realizing her potential by writing in her adopted language. (more…)