Teaching English as a Second Language.pdfVIP

EBSCO Research Starters? ? Copyright ? 2008 EBSCO Publishing Inc. ? All Rights Reserved RESEARCH STARTERS ACADEMIC TOPIC OVERVIEWS Teaching English as a Second Language English as a Second Language Teaching English as a Second Language Abstract English as a Second Language (ESL) is defined as the formal instruction of English to those (usually immigrants, interna- tional students or refugees) whose native language is not English but who live in an English speaking country. Through instruc- tion in reading, writing, speaking and listening, ESL provides the necessary communication skills to help nonnative speakers enroll in school, obtain employment and function effectively in the host country. Common instructional methods are the silent way technique, total physical response, scaffolding, the direct approach, the whole language approach, and the interactive stu- dent centered approach. Among the unresolved issues in the ESL community are inclusion, mainstreaming, and separation. Overview Recent patterns of economic globalization and significant demo- graphic shifts in the United States have created a pressing need for viable English proficiency programs. The current trends suggest that one of the largest growing groups in this country is people who speak English as a second language. The ESL population among students K-12 in the United States grew 138% between 1979-1999 and currently, one out of every five students speaks a language other than English at home (Coppola, 2005). By the year 2020 it is predicted that 50% of school-aged children will be of non-Euro-American background (Harper de Jong, 2004). In response to this growing cultural and linguistic incongruity, sev- eral different English instructional programs were implemented in public and private academic institutions in the United States and abroad. One of the most effective and widely used methods of English fluency is known as ESL or English as a Second Language. Since the Ele