HS Program of Studies

PHILOSOPHY

 

The mission of the ELL Department is to develop the English proficiency of students, enhance their academic achievement, and support classroom teachers to ensure quality instruction.

Beliefs about teaching ELL students:

• A flexible, student-centered ELL program in a nurturing environment encourages student risk taking and promotes language acquisition.
• Access to the mainstream curriculum at the appropriate instructional levels enables ELL students to gain proficiency more rapidly.
• Content materials that integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing enhance language acquisition.
• Meaningful communication, collaboration, and interaction with teachers and peers in the classroom enable students to develop skills more quickly.
• A variety of teaching strategies enables students to acquire language more efficiently.

Beliefs about learning English:

• Students learn best when their cultural identities are valued.
• Language development may include a silent period during which learning takes place.
• Language proficiency includes both social and academic language skills.
• While students may require seven to ten years to become proficient in English, they exit the ELL program when they are able to continue learning English independently.
• Literacy in the first language facilitates the development of literacy in the second language.
• Reading widely in any language improves all aspects of language proficiency.
• Language proficiency continues to develop after students exit the ELL program.
• Students can learn more than one language simultaneously.