Who Helps English Language Learner (ELL) Students With Their Schoolwork When Their Parents Don?t Speak English Either?
It’s about time there are conversations at the highest levels regarding English Language Learners (ELLs). ELLs have long been the invisible elephant in the room whenever there have been conversations of any large or long-term significance regarding education in the U.S. Here in Las Vegas over 20% of students are Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and a significantly higher percentage than that are enrolled in ELL programs.
In case nobody has noticed, Latinos (the vast majority of ELLs) are the (not-too-distant) future of the U.S. In Las Vegas, 41% of school kids are Hispanic, vs. 35% White. If we commit to a focused, significant investment in improving their literacy and success in school, we will undoubtedly reap the benefits relatively soon as a society. Conversely, if we don’t make that investment we will all continue to pay an escalating price.
But are we missing or ignoring the English language proficiency of the students’ parents? Many parents are even less proficient in English than their kids; which of course leads to serious challenges for parents wanting to help their kids with schoolwork and other important life skills and lessons.
While our school systems are currently not funded to teach English to all parents who want to learn, maybe we should have an increased sense of urgency to do so. We could dramatically ramp up marketing/community awareness of increased ESL/EFL offerings, (at public schools and elsewhere), and also improve the effectiveness of the programs by including some more intense English language programs in addition to the open-enrollment programs most often available.
Charter schools and vouchers have a place in
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