Preface

• Reading Achievement and English Language Learners ESL (ELLs)

• The Consequences of Failing to Learn to Read

• Disappearing Students and Declining Reading Scores

• How to Navigate this Book

What’s wrong with ESL (ELL)?

• There term ESL (ELL), or whatever, is inadequate to describe the human beings it labels.

ESL(ELL) Students

• Each of the following descriptors include infants, children, teens, young adults, older adults, very mature adults

0-Level English

• 0-level English - 0-level L1 literacy (no school)

• 0-level English - L1 literacy background (basic literacy skills)

• 0-level English - L1 literacy, including academic literacy

• 0-level English - advanced (graduate level) literacy and academic background

Very Limited English

• very-limited (beginning) English - 0-level L1 literacy (no school)

• very-limited (beginning) English - L1 literacy background (basic literacy skills)

• very-limited (beginning) English - L1 literacy, including academic literacy

• very-limited (beginning) English - advanced (graduate level) L1 literacy and academic background

Limited Fluency English

• limited fluency (intermediate) English - 0-level L1 literacy (no school)

• limited fluency (intermediate) English - L1 literacy background (basic literacy skills)

• limited fluency (intermediate) English - L1 literacy, including academic literacy

• limited fluency (intermediate) English - advanced (graduate level) L1 literacy and academic background

Diversity

• Human beings vary in age

• ESL(ELL) students may be 2, 5, 10, 15, 30, 40, 60, 80

• ESL(ELL) students may have no school background at all and vary from 2 to 80

• ESL(ELL) students may be zero-level English or English fluent and vary from 2 to 80

The ESL(ELL) Acronym

• It’s unfair to group all of these students into one category

• The term is often used as a pejorative meaning someone who slows down a class and makes learning difficult for others

The Serious Problem

• Leaners included in the category ESL(ELL) are often viewed negatively

• Those included in the category often feel they are “in a ghetto”

• D’Silva refers to inclusion in this category as “Perpetually Perceived Deficit Model” (PPDF)

PPDM

• Once students do succeed, they leave the category and their scores no longer count

• As a result, overall ESL scores never improve.

Some ESL Terms

• ESL (TESL)

• L1, L2, L3, L4 (etc.)

• ELL

• EAL (TEAL)

• ESOL (TESOL)

• EFL (TEFL)

More ESL Terms

• Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) – 2 to 3 years

• Academic Language Proficiency (ALP) – 5 to 7 years (Also CALP)

• Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP)

Reading Achievement and English Language Learners ESL (ELLs)