When ESOL learners are able to converse comfortably in English, have they developed proficiency in the language?
It can take 6-9 years for ESOL students to achieve the same levels of proficiency in academic English as native speakers. Moreover, ESOL students participating in thoughtfully designed programs of bilingual or sheltered-content instruction remain in school longer and attain significantly higher rates of academic achievement in comparison to students without such advantages. • In earlier times, didn’t immigrant children learn English rapidly and assimilate easily into American life? Many immigrant students during the early part of this century did not learn English quickly or well. Many dropped out of school to work in jobs that did not require the kinds of academic achievement and communication skills that substantive employment opportunities require today. • Do I need to speak the student’s home language to teach ESOL? No. Although knowing firsthand the experience of learning any second language is advantageous, it is not required. Teachers are encouraged to know some important words,
