Seesaw ELD: Enhancing Language Development for English Learners
Growth in English Learner Population & the ELD Curriculum Landscape English learners are the fastest-growing demographic of students across the U.S., making English language development (ELD) a high-priority area for schools and districts across the United States and the globe. Currently, there are many models of English language instruction in practice. Some programs for ELD focus solely on English acquisition in isolation - learning English for the sake of learning English. However, recent research cited by WIDA shows that what is most important is for students to acquire language through content area knowledge - this helps English learners access gradelevel appropriate content in different subjects (science, social studies, math etc.) while simultaneously learning English.
According to a 2008 report by Education Northwest, the overarching characteristics of English learners (ELs) and English language development include: • ELs move through different stages as they acquire English proficiency and, at all stages, need comprehensible input. • Fluency in everyday conversation is insufficient to ensure access to academic texts and tasks. • Instruction that helps them meet content standards is critical. • ELs bring a rich background and cultural knowledge to school, but these may differ from the mainstream expectations in the area where they live. • Assessments are most effective when they measure both language proficiency and content knowledge. • The same approach to learning to read and write applies to ELs and non-ELs, but ELs need additional instructional support. • Many literacy skills transfer across languages.