ELL News Headlines

Throughout the week, Colorín Colorado gathers news headlines related to English language learners from around the country. The ELL Headlines are posted Monday through Friday and are available for free!

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Time to Expand Foreign Language Opportunities, Says Iowa State Professor

Getting back into the classroom after spending the summer in Spain with a group of Iowa State University students always reinforces for Chad Gasta the benefits of a language immersion program. Gasta, a professor and chair of world languages and cultures, co-directs "ISU on the Mediterranean," Iowa State's largest study abroad program, which offers courses and research opportunities in Spanish, engineering, business and biology. To make it a truly immersive experience, classes are taught in Spanish and English, and students live with host families during their six weeks in Spain. Gasta says it makes for some interesting translations initially, but students welcome the opportunity to interact and communicate with native speakers.

School Closings From Harvey Threaten Disruption Across Texas

On what was supposed to be the first day of school in some Texas districts, the state with the nation's second-largest K-12 student population was in educational crisis Monday, with hundreds of thousands of families reeling from the effects of Hurricane Harvey. Teachers, students and parents were unsure when classes would be in session, and who, exactly, would be reporting to which schools, when opening bells finally ring.

Reading, Writing and Refugees

Here is a guide to some of the new and forthcoming children's books about Muslim refugees, ranging from picture books for toddlers and early readers to young adult novels.

It began with a refugee Thanksgiving. Then she launched a program to pair newly arrived families with U.S. mentors.

It all started with a Thanksgiving dinner last November, when Sloane Davidson hosted a family of Syrian refugees to share in the great American tradition of roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and pecan pie. The two families kept in touch, and soon Davidson invited them to more of her family gatherings. That friendship has now grown into something bigger: Hello Neighbor, a mentorship program that matches American families with refugee and immigrant families who have recently arrived in the United States.

Racial Discrimination Was Behind Ethnic-Studies Courses Ban, Judge Rules

A federal judge has ruled that Arizona's ban on ethnic studies courses was motivated by racial discrimination. The state violated students' constitutional rights "because both enactment and enforcement were motivated by racial animus," Judge A. Wallace Tashima wrote in a ruling issued Tuesday.

In Their Words: English Learners Share Their Stories About School

Every school day just over 80,000 foreign-speaking students show up for school throughout Connecticut That’s one in seven students. As part of its recent exploration of issues surrounding English-language learners, the Connecticut Mirror wanted to hear what these students feel is helping them. Here are a few of their stories.

La Paz Chattanooga Helps Hispanic Students Enroll for School

Chattanooga helped recruit and train over 75 bilingual volunteers to work with 14 Hamilton County public schools during the county-wide school registration day. Volunteers requested time off from their employers to help Chattanooga's Latino and Hispanic students enroll in school for the upcoming academic year. 

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