ELL programs in the United States

The cycle of Oppression for ELL Students and Their Families:

By Amanda Breckner

Group Members: Jessica Beech

Patrick Branley

Amanda Breckner

Sarah DelTorto
Molly Trayner

As the population of the American Public school system is constantly changing the demands for bi lingual teachers is on the rise. Children now come to the school system having no background in speaking the main language of instruction; English. In a study done by the U.S. Department of Labor it has been predicted that;

"'between 1990 and the year 2000, immigrants will represent the largest share of the increase in the population and the workforce since World War I'"(Gromet,3) . This increase in foreign residents calls for added attention to specialized literacy programs designed to teach the English language to students who speak another language” (Reed, 1996).

However the resources needed are no longer being afforded to many students across the nation. Immigrant workers come to a new country in the hopes of creating new and better lives for themselves and their families. Most typically such workers have families that come with them to this nation. This means that there is a great increase in English Language Learners without adequate access to ESL services. The staggering increase in immigration to the United States only reiterates the fact that new family’s are moving to the United States, and requiring education for their children.

("Colorodo alliance for," 1955)

           

Immigration and education go hand in hand in todays world were globalization has become the new way of life. Students are expected to be bilingual when they enter in to workforce now, however not every child is able to achieve such standards. The new American family now must meet the challenges of properly placing their child into the school system that can afford their child the best opportunities. However this can present a great challenge for those immigrant families who do not have the money to live in an area that provides their children with the necessary resources. This issue greatly affects many American families as we can see;

According to the US Census Bureau’s 2005 American Community Survey:

•    12.5% of our nation’s population or 37,547,789 individuals are foreign born

•    Over half of the foreign-born population are recent arrivals

52.4% of the 37.2M foreign born residents over the age of five were limited English proficient.

More and more we hear of cuts being made across the nation in many public school systems ESL programs. This presents a grave situation for many young students as they rely on the resources afforded to them via such systems. Teachers are being cut constantly and the debate rages on about whether or not it is the obligation of the government to provide these programs.

Children who are considered limited English proficient are forever cast in the shadows of their peers. There is a constant disadvantage that they will have to face if they are not properly educated in the beginning and necessary tools to English language learning so that they can be considered completely proficient.

Works Cited:

Colorodo alliance for immigration reform . (1955). Retrieved from http://www.cairco.org/reference/us-population-data

(1985). Internationals network for public schools. Retrieved from http://www.internationalsnps.org/about-us/immigration-and-education.html

Reed, R. (1996, December 06). mmigrant literacy and english as a second language programs. Retrieved from http://eserver.org/courses/fall96/76-100m/reed/