The Deterioration of ESL Education in America ▬ Student Voice

The Deterioration of ESL Education in America

Student Voice

Student Voice: 8.24.2020 by Scott Lee

It’s easy to forget that the United States has no official language. Practically everything we read or hear is in English, to the point where it becomes the status quo for all interactions in our lives. For a country as diverse as ours, it’s easy to imagine how this monolingual tilt can make the lives of many confusing and difficult on any given day. There is no right or wrong answer on whose responsibility it is to alleviate this issue, but there certainly is a responsibility to ensure that all students receive an equal education in the language regardless of their level.

It is a basic fact that English Language Learners (ELL) are a very diverse group of people. It is certainly possible that they may fit stereotypes of what being an ELL means, but they are more than likely to be something completely different. Just as you and I are completely different people, the same reasoning behind that conclusion applies to ELL. The only reason why they are labeled as ELL are because they are just that. People who are currently in the process of learning English.

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In 1974 the Supreme Court decided unanimously on Lau v Nichols that the lack of ESL education was in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Yet as the number of ELL grow, it is time for a national conversation on how we are properly fulfilling the civil rights established not only by the legislative body, but also the highest court in the country.

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In fact, for that 10% less than 1% of teachers are actually qualified to teach them English as a Secondary Language. Those numbers aren’t getting better as the years go by, and it’s scary to consider what it means going forward.

ELL teachers play an important role far beyond just the classroom. They are the bridge between the student and a country in which they will be expected to provide for themselves using the lessons provided by the teacher. For that very reason, more so than any other group at school, their success lies with their understanding of the English language. Although we may take it for granted, the proficiency of our English literacy has been shown to correlate on an international level with salaries and standards of living.  READ MORE ➤➤

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Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)