School districts across the country are facing increasing numbers of secondary immigrant students who have low level English or native language skills, and in many cases, have had limited formal education in their native countries. These students must learn English, take the required content courses, and catch up to their native-English-speaking…

In recent years, the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teaching profession has made discoveries about teaching beginning or low-level adult learners (those with little or no schooling in their native languages, learners who may not be familiar with the Roman alphabet, those with learning disabilities, and those literate in their native languages…

Recent trends in immigration and foreign student enrollments are placing a growing demand on community colleges for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. A 1991 study of course sections at 164 two-year colleges nationwide revealed that ESL had grown from 30% of all foreign language courses offered in 1983 to 51% in 1991, and that the…

The assessment and placement of language minority students remain among the most serious problems facing schools today. As of 1990, 14 percent of the school-aged population in the United States comes from language minority backgrounds. Significant numbers of these students are not being properly identified by educators. Assessment procedures in a…

This digest defines the concepts of "whole language,""learner-centered," and "participatory," and discusses their application to adult learning in ESL literacy programs. All three approaches advocate that the learner should inform literacy instruction with his or her own particular input, that learners and their…

In English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at the college level, students are often enrolled who have a high degree of oral fluency, but little proficiency in reading or writing. Developmental ESL students need a solid start toward "inventing" themselves as readers and writers. One method of teaching ESL students to write is to build…

This digest provides general information on the characteristics of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. preschool and primary school programs and describes learning conditions and instructional practices that are most effective for educating young ELLs. The digest suggests that as young ELLs enroll in preschool and primary school programs in…

An increasing number of U.S. high school graduates enter college while still in the process of learning English. Referred to as generation 1.5 students because they share characteristics of both first- and second-generation immigrants, they do not fit into any of the traditional categories of nonnative English speakers enrolled in college writing…

Some 15 to 20 percent of U.S. school children speak a foreign language at home, and the number is increasing rapidly. However, all limited-English proficient (LEP) students are not alike, and their differences must be understood in assessing their performance. It is vital to understand the role of culture and how the cultural background influences…

This Digest discusses the increase in the number of immigrant secondary school students who come to the United States with limited education and effective programs for serving this student population. For these students to succeed in school, they must learn to read, write, understand, and speak English, develop academic literacy in English to make…

High dropout rates among language-minority secondary school students are one indication that many schools are failing to adequately support the needs of these students. The belief that the student dropout rate is due to a lack of proficiency in English often leads educators to overlook the economic, cultural, academic, and personal issues that…

Changes in the U.S. economy are altering employment patterns, and these changes have implications for workers whose language is other than English. This digest summarizes the existing types of programs that prepare English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) adults for the workplace or help workers whose first language is other than English who are already…

This digest reports on a study that examined the impact of participation in a two-way immersion program on the language and achievement outcomes of former program participants and on their current schooling path and college plans. The study explored outcomes for three groups of students: (1) Hispanic students who began the two-way program as…

This digest describes three programs for middle and high school language minority students at risk of dropping out of school. Two of the programs are geared toward limited-English-proficient Hispanic youth, and the third, a vocational program, involves African-American students as well. The first program described is the Coca-Cola Valued Youth…

Lack of success of some adult learners of English as a Second Language may be due to learning disabilities (LD). Review of research reveals that LD can affect every aspect of learning, impairing single or multiple skills and sometimes appearing in the second language when not in the first. Identification of adult ESL learners as having LD can be…