Bilingual Teachers Sought for English Learners

Posted by freemexy on August 27th, 2019

More than half of all U.S. states report having a shortage of bilingual teachers to face increasing diversity in the nation's schools. bilingual teacher qualification

About 10% of public school students in the U.S. fall into the category of "English-language learners" (ELLs), but in some states like California, 38% of students enter the public school system as ELLs. Of all California public school students, about 21% are considered ELLs.

"English learners" are defined as ages 3 to 21 whose native language is not English and whose difficulties in reading, speaking and understanding English hinder their success in the classroom, according to the Council of Great City Schools. Last month, the council published a report looking at what English learners face while attending public schools in 74 major U.S. cities.

The most commonly spoken languages among ELLs in the U.S. are Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole and Vietnamese. Speakers of those five languages make up 92% of all ELLs included in the council's report.Schools have struggled for years to cope with increased language diversity. In 1998, California voters passed a measure of English-only education. In November 2016, that measure was overturned, and California public schools are working to expand bilingual education. But school systems across the state say they simply do not have enough qualified, bilingual educators to serve their students.

California is not alone: Thirty other states and the District of Columbia report shortages of teachers in the areas of bilingual instruction and English as a Second Language. Observers fear a continued shortage will harm English learners' chances for a meaningful education.

Teaching ELLs

Research has shown that English learners do best in dual-language programs when they can use their mother tongue. A 2017 study by Rand Corporation estimated that the U.S. has between 1,000 and 2,000 dual-language immersion programs in a public school system of more than 130,000 schools in kindergarten through Grade 12.

Nationally, about 83% of students complete their high school education compared with a 65% graduation rate among English learners.