Thanks for posting this! I'm always on the lookout for articles related to ESL and bilingual education.
I'm currently the only ESL teacher in a large school with a population of 250+ immigrant ELL's and we are trying to move away from a pullout program (1 hour a day for the kids with the lowest language skills only) to a sheltered program - mainly in an effort to increase test scores.
On the one hand, students definitely benefit from more exposure to native English speakers. Unfortunately, they are generally ignored by their classmates, if not treated negatively. Worse, we have a large percentage of students who pass their class, receive all their credits for high school and then never graduate because they can't pass the state test mandated for graduation.
I'm tried of consoling crying seniors who aren't allowed to walk across the stage to receive a diploma, despite all their hard work. If a sheltered program isolates them more from the general population, but allows them their certificate - I honestly don't see it as much of a loss. Even better, it allows me to know they will be with the volunteered sheltered teachers who won't subject them to racist treatment and remarks.
It's very sad when the choice is assimilate and fail, or seperate and suceed. From what I've seen, the students who sucessfully complete their diplomas do fare better in life. I run into them at their workplaces constantly by traveling the city ;)
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I'm currently the only ESL teacher in a large school with a population of 250+ immigrant ELL's and we are trying to move away from a pullout program (1 hour a day for the kids with the lowest language skills only) to a sheltered program - mainly in an effort to increase test scores.
On the one hand, students definitely benefit from more exposure to native
English speakers. Unfortunately, they are generally ignored by their classmates, if not treated negatively. Worse, we have a large percentage of students who pass their class, receive all their credits for high school and then never graduate because they can't pass the state test mandated for graduation.
I'm tried of consoling crying seniors who aren't allowed to walk across the stage to receive a diploma, despite all their hard work. If a sheltered program isolates them more from the general population, but allows them their certificate - I honestly don't see it as much of a loss. Even better, it allows me to know they will be with the volunteered sheltered teachers who won't subject them to racist treatment and remarks.
It's very sad when the choice is assimilate and fail, or seperate and suceed. From what I've seen, the students who sucessfully complete their diplomas do fare better in life. I run into them at their workplaces constantly by traveling the city ;)