When Jin Hoe Ng decided to leave Malaysia more than two years ago to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his knowledge of the state and campus was limited.

He knew Wisconsin was “an agriculture state famous for cheese and dairy products,” that the university’s student population “lacks racial diversity” and that UW-Madison “is a party school.” Similarly, India’s Hardik Modi knew UW-Madison’s industrial engineering program was “highly ranked,” that Madison is a “great university town” and that it “gets really cold here.”

Unlike students applying from within the U.S., those from overseas must prove — due to U.S. law — an ability to pay all tuition and living expenses and must also obtain the proper visas to live and study in this country. Additionally, those for whom English is not their first language must take a test to prove a level of proficiency in English.

“We do have a minimum score for English proficiency,” says Dickson. “That’s the one place we kind of draw the line in the sand. We have a very good English as a second language program on campus, but they really begin teaching at a certain level. We don’t have the resources to help everyone.” (more…)

With thousands of Oregon students learning English as a second language, most school districts fell well short of getting even half of them proficient within five years, according to state data released last week.

Most Eastern Oregon districts also followed that trend in 2008-09, according to the state Department of Education. Only one – the Stanfield School District - surpassed all three federal targets and earned a passing grade for its English language development.

“It means a lot to us,” said Kevin Headings, who will step in as Stanfield’s superintendent next month. “It kind of falls into the vision we’ve had the last few years in upping the student achievement in all of our areas.” (more…)

A plan to offer after-school academic help to English as a Second Language students, an update on the plight of high school cheerleaders looking for a practice space and the progress of a technology audit for school computers and related equipment all were topics of conversation at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting.

Interim Superintendent Deborah Perri announced the after-school ESL and ELL program for language arts, reading and mathematics. She said the program will help students become more proficient on New Jersey Academic Skills and Knowledge and High School Profiency Assessment tests and increase their overall academic success. (more…)

A new report says that most students learning English as a second language in Oregon public schools still are not proficient after five years.

The U.S. Department of Education says five years should be enough time for a typical student to master the English language. But most districts aren’t coming close to that target.

The report by the Oregon Department of Education notes that federal funding was cut off for students with limited English proficiency in Portland Public Schools-a loss of more than $600,000 a year to the state’s largest district. (more…)

Oleeis Vazquez is glad his mother is taking English classes at Belmont Baptist Church.

“It helps her out so she can speak better English to people, and I don’t have to translate,” he said.

Belmont has had English as a Second Language and citizenship classes for the past 10 years, and Dolores Vazquez takes a weekly class both at Belmont and another course at Odessa College to learn English.

She said she likes the teacher and has a goal for learning to speak English more fluently.

“I want to get a GED and become a nurse. That’s my dream,” Dolores Vazquez said. (more…)

Lyubov Shearin, a kindergarten through second-grade English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Robbins Elementary School, was recently awarded a grant from the Public Education Foundation of Moore County to purchase bi-lingual books for her students to take home and read on weekends. “This program will involve parents in reading to and with a child, as well as literacy activities they can do together during the weekend,” Shearin said.

She said the students will discuss the book of the week in English and will be encouraged to share their pictures or do role-playing based on the book. “Parent involvement and follow-up classroom activities will provide opportunities for students to engage in fun, productive and enriching reading,” she added, “thereby developing literacy skills and promoting life-long learning.” (more…)

Teaching English as a second language is a profession that is gaining popularity as the English language solidifies its position as the global language. English is the most commonly spoken and wide spread language on Earth. More than half the population of earth can speak English regardless of whether it is their mother tongue or if it is their second language.

There are many people who are interested in learning English as a second language and the market for the services is growing day by day. From children to seasoned business professionals individuals of all kinds are finding ways to learn English every day.

Children learn English at school in most countries, business people must know English especially when dealing with international business and even immigrants who relocate to western countries are required to know English in order to get citizenship and find jobs.

The market is growing constantly and so is the demand for English as a second language teachers. If you acquire the skills necessary you should be able to market your services to an ever-growing market that is thirsty for learning the English language.

When you get the necessary certifications many doors will open for your professional career. As an ESL teacher you will have several options such as traveling abroad to teach to countries that your services are in high demand as prospective students await to learn ESL. The demand for qualified instructors should be also growing in your home country as more and more immigrants continue to arrive.

Due to the high demand for ESL teachers that have the qualifications to teach English as a second language you can either work for a school or even hold tutoring sessions on your own. It is up to you to decide how you want to make your skills available. Once you receive your certification you will be able to maximize your potential as an English as a second language teacher or tutor.

If you are interested in either learning or teaching ESL you should consult your local English as a second language directory. For Toronto residents you should access an ESL Toronto resource to find an ESL Teacher Toronto.

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