Completing the difficult task of learning English as a second language will not only make you more capable of connecting and communicating with millions and millions of people worldwide, but it will also open up many more opportunities for you to continue to further you education. If the saying, “knowledge is power” is true, than your true key to power could be learning the English language.

When you finally have a good grasp of the English language, you’ll have access to almost unlimited resources for learning anything imaginable, on just about any topic that you can think of. Books, magazines, newspapers and trade publications can all offer incredible amounts of information but most of these valuable resources may only be published in the English language. (more…)

Nearly 300 people attended the annual Hispanic Resource Center Fiesta at Hampshire Country Club, raising more than $100,000 for the organization that provides immigrants and others needing assistance with social services, job training, English as a Second Language classes and resources to help integrate them into the community.

“With reports that donations to charities are down, we weren’t sure how we would fare this year,” said John Gitlitz, the center’s board president. “And, with heavy rain and wind predicted, we thought it might keep people away. Fortunately, attendance and donations were consistent with prior years. There were even new faces in the crowd. Many told us they were happy to support a cause that benefits people in their own community.”

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Cardinal O’Hara High School in the Town of Tonawanda enrolls 13 students from South Korea and China, while Christian Academy of Western New York in North Tonawanda has 16 foreign students. Nichols School has five and may add a few more.

Those local schools are tapping into what they describe as a huge market of international students seeking an American education. In most cases, those overseas students want to expand their English skills and cultural familiarity in preparation for attending U.S. colleges and universities.

Most of the Buffalo area’s international students are from China and South Korea, but others are here from countries including Spain, Germany, Chechnya, Nigeria, Vietnam and Brazil. (more…)

The Adult Basic Education (ABE)/English as a Second Language (ESL) office helps adults develop or improve literacy, reading, writing, math, decision-making and problem-solving skills. ABE offers programs for adults that help them with basic skills or prepares them for GED (General Education Development) testing. ESL offers a wide variety of programs, including those for families, professionals and the English Language Institute (ELI). (more…)

At Willard School, approximately 95 percent of all students met or exceeded the reading and mathematics standards on the ISAT in 2009, making their scores the highest across the district. Dr. Shelley Carey, principal of Willard School was thrilled to see that Willard moved into 7th place in this year’s rankings.

She commended Willard staff, students, and families whose combined hard work, she said, is what makes Willard such a successful school. Willard School serves almost 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grades. The school is also one of the five across the district where families can participate in a two-way immersion (TWI), an English-Spanish language program for limited English proficient students and their English-speaking peers. (more…)

Community colleges are a vital part of our postsecondary education delivery system. They serve almost half of all undergraduate students in the United States, providing open access to postsecondary education, preparing students for transfer to four-year institutions, providing workforce development and skills training, and offering noncredit programs ranging from English as a second language to skills retraining to community enrichment programs or cultural activities.

Since globalization is driving changes in our economy, the need for an educated workforce has never been greater. The majority of new jobs that will be created by 2014 will require some postsecondary education. And as a result of changing workforce demographics, employers increasingly rely on the very students who currently are least likely to complete their education. (more…)

The English/Chinese version of the second edition of the best-selling and well loved Oxford Picture Dictionary, features over 4,000 words and phrases in both languages illustrated with all new vibrant, crystal-clear artwork.

The topics, based on extensive input from teachers and students, have been thoroughly updated to meet the needs of today’s English language learners. The new bilingual editions have complete second language indexes. (more…)

For individuals who wish to learn English, the ability to do so may initially seem to like a near unattainable goal. This is largely due to the some of the numerous challenges that are presented when we set our sights on becoming bilingual.

The English language contains roughly 500,000 words, 1,000,000 when scientific words are counted. Toss in the fact that different cultures use slang terms as well as regional colloquialisms and mastering the English Language can be a bit overwhelming. (more…)