ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM

The English As A Second Language Program (ESL) is an instructional program for students who are learning to speak, read, and write English. The ESL program is offered at each school district's elementary and secondary schools.

As required by law, ESL instruction is a core subject provided to all English Language Learners (ELLs). The ESL Program is designed to temporarily replace or supplement the elementary language arts or secondary English program while the students learn to understand, speak, read, and write English.

Students that qualify for the ESL Program receive instruction in all other areas of the curriculum in the regular classroom. The regular classroom teacher and the ESL teacher work together to help the ELL to be successful in the regular classroom as the student increases his/her ability to use English.

The goals of the school district's English As A Second Language Program are:

• To foster ELLs acquisition and use of English in social

situations.

• To support the ELLs academic progress and achievement

of PA academic standards.

• To expand the ELLs understanding of appropriate ways to

communicate with others.

The English As A Second Language curriculum is designed according to the English proficiency levels. A sampling of the curriculum focus follows:

Level 1 – Beginner

• focus on interpersonal skills

• personal information

• listening skills

• school personnel

• school rules

• beginning phonics: recognizing letters and knowing sounds of the letters

• content vocabulary: numbers, colors, classroom objects,

parts of the body, shapes, family members, clothing, food, weather, money, etc.

Level 2 – Emergent

• listening and speaking skills

• pronunciation activities

• vocabulary

• sight vocabulary

• phonics instruction

• word family activities

• beginning writing skills: subject/verb agreement

• reading/constructing simple sentences

Level 3 – Intermediate

• continued development in listening, speaking, and reading skills

• reading paragraphs/short stories with comprehension

• Scott Foresman alignment with reading and writing

• development of better writing skills

• grammar: parts of speech

Level 4 – Advanced

• fine tuning of speaking skills

• advanced grammar activities applied in writing

• use of higher level vocabulary in speech and writing

• Scott Foresman alignment in reading and writing

• read longer passages with greater comprehension

Level 5 – Proficient

These students remain in the classroom working on grade

level curriculum and are monitored by the ESL Specialist

and the classroom teacher.