ELL News Headlines

As a newcomer specialist, I teach students who have been in the United States for less than a year. There are at least four languages spoken by the students I currently teach, so people are often surprised to learn that I’m monolingual. I spend a lot of time thinking about how monolingual teachers can support multilingual students and I am actively searching for ways to reduce the isolation my students experience as they begin learning English, and to build a sense of belonging for students in my classes.

When a friend asked Andrea White Rubio if she was interested in caring for an 84-year-old man with early dementia and diabetes during the pandemic, she considered her job options. She had scrambled for months, working as a fruit vendor or going door to door selling shoes from a catalog. She agreed and, after two years on the job, found a new calling. That’s how Rubio found herself in a classroom at Los Angeles City College on a recent Friday, learning how to become an in-home support worker. But there was something distinct about this class: It was taught entirely in Spanish.

At Frank Sparkes Elementary, words fly everywhere. On a recent Monday, kindergartners sang and danced as they learned about the silent e that changes other vowel sounds. First graders asked how to spell words like “hamster” to finish writing sentences about how they wanted to spend their piggy-bank money. Third graders discussed out loud whether Oreo or Chips Ahoy cookies are best – the topic of their opinion essays.

By the close of this century, at least half of the more than 7,000 languages spoken today will become extinct – and that’s according to the rosiest of linguistic forecasts.

In the 2019-20 academic year, about 7.7% of students enrolled in Tennessee schools were classified as English Language Learners (ELL), according to the state Comptroller of the Treasury’s Office of Research and Education Accountability. In addition, Clarksville and the state continue attract more international industries, such as Hankook Tire, LG Electronics and others.

Students acquiring the English language are one of the fastest growing populations of K-12 public school students in the country. Legally, districts are required to provide them with adequate English-language support, while also teaching them grade level academic content.

The terminology used to describe students in need of English-language support in schools has evolved over time, with the goal of emphasizing multilingualism as an asset.

Latino high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Siouxland region came together recently in South Sioux City to be motivated about lessons in life and to learn more about higher education opportunities.

For younger and middle grade readers who want a bit of an escape, here are some titles to try.

“Sesame Street” is ramping up its focus on autism with a collection of new resources and additional efforts at its theme parks.