ELL/Bilingual Resources

Why might a student who speaks English qualify for ESL?

Restating the timelines of language acquisition: Students usually develop ”every day” interpersonal language first when learning an additional language. This means that a student will be able to speak proficiently very shortly (research says within six months to 2 years generally). However, research shows that some students with bilingual experiences may need additional time and support to be at grade level in reading comprehension and writing in English. The time it takes for this is much longer than the time it takes to speak. Hence, the school offers additional support, such as ESL, to give bilingual/multi-lingual students every chance to succeed in an academic setting where everything is in English.