English Language Learners (ELL) is a national program that teaches students English, with the biggest student population in California. It was established by the California Department of Education to ensure that recently-immigrated students are gaining proficiency in English and are accommodated with the appropriate services. M-A started implementing the program around 1995, supporting students who are learning English, providing guidance in assimilating to M-A, and improving skills in reading, writing, and speaking.
ELL is split into various departments based on students’ context and English level. The Emergent Multilingual Learner (EML) program is for students new to the U.S. who are just now learning English as a second language. Students who have been living in the U.S., whose first language is not English, and have not yet achieved English proficiency are Long-Term English Learners (LTELs).
“We provide support in creating the community, receiving the support they need, and for them to learn how to integrate into the U.S. school systems, which are very different from other parts of the world,” Maribel Maldonado, one of M-A’s Bilingual Resource Teachers, said.
Students are placed into different English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) levels based on their proficiency level, but stay grouped with their grade alongside other ELL students in social studies and science.
Computer Academy and past ELL math teacher Jeffrey Chin-Sell has been working with ELL students since 1995 at M-A. “It’s [ELL] really fluctuated. There were years where I had six or seven different languages represented in a single class, and then there were other years where most of my class was 100% Spanish speaking,” Chin-Sell said.
He noted that since his start, there have been more resources available for students. “There were some years where I was the only semi-Spanish speaking adult that they would interact with on a daily basis. There were very few bilingual teachers aside from the Spanish department,” Chin-Sell said. “Now we have so many extra resources available for people that are dedicated to helping them.”
ELD III and AP Literature teacher Lisa Otsuka has been teaching ELD for four years and finds the program to be important for assimilation. Otsuka creates various projects and assignments that help students stay close to their culture while simultaneously improving English skills.
“They have essays they recently wrote about how they’ve assimilated into the U.S. culture and how they’ve retained their cultural identity,” Otsuka said. “Just like any English class, you’re basically always focusing on speaking, listening, reading, and writing in different amounts. The openness of it means we can do some hands-on stuff that’s really going to increase language development.”
Besides the language barrier, some students did not have access to higher education previously, and face difficulties with technology and adjusting to class schedules. ELL students who have missed significant formal education are classified as Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). “When ELL students come in the program, they come from different countries where the level of education that they have is extremely different,” James Nelson, ELD I and ELD II teacher for the past 11 years, said.
Chin-Sell explained that while there are more resources available made for ELL, there has been a decline in non-high school level classes for SIFE. “I used to be able to teach multiple math classes lower than Algebra 1 that realistically addresses the needs of the students,” he said. “I’ve had two students who had never gone to a single day of school in their lives.”
Chin-Sell hopes that SIFE students’ accommodations will be met again. “If you have these students [below level] in any given class, not only are they being done a major disservice, but it puts the teacher and the rest of the class in a very difficult situation because now you’re trying to function with people that are multiple grade levels below,” he said.
ELL students find the program to be helpful in assimilating to the U.S. Senior Cleyver Villarreal Rios has been living in the U.S. for one month, coming from Mexico. “I love it. It’s my favorite class,” Villarreal Rios said.
“My favorite part is doing homework in groups,” senior Dayron Alvarado, who has been in the program for four months, coming from Honduras, said. “I’ve improved in speaking the most.”
Besides the ELL program, students and families find comfort in clubs and organizations. The Intercambio Club welcomes students to converse in Spanish and English. The English Learners Advisory Committee (ELAC), a group of parents who seek to assist English language learners, helps contribute to the funding of the program and provides resources for families. “ELAC holds meetings where parents learn about all the resources that M-A provides,” Maldonado said.
Nelson urges ELL students to be comfortable in making mistakes and asking questions. “A lot of students don’t answer any questions because they’re afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes are essential. If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning,” he said.
The program is essential to helping immigrant students become accustomed to the U.S. Not only does it improve English skills, but it also provides a community for students to connect and grow as they prepare for their lives after high school.
After M-A, Otsuka hopes ELL students will be more confident and comfortable with their English, as well as know the support they have. “I want them to know that they are welcomed and supported here, that they’re not on the fringe of the school. It can be easy to kind of feel lost at M-A in general since it is such a big school,” she said. “There are so many people that care about them. They have a community here.”
“I hope that everybody leaves with at least the ability to communicate their experience with other people. I want everyone to be able to have the skills that lead to successful, productive lives,” Nelson said. “Whether you choose to go into advanced education, get a job straight out of high school, or whatever, I want everyone to participate completely and totally in life.”
