Instructional Program Models for Teaching English Language Learners

 Just as there is a wide variety of English Language Learners, there is also a wide variety of program models aiming to best teach these students. The models that will be discussed and compared in this post are English as a Second Language, Bilingual, Sheltered English Instruction, and Structured English Immersion. 

First, the English as a Second Language Model also referred to as ESL, is actually composed of three different strategies: pull-out, class period, and resource center (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). The pull-out strategy allows ELL students to spend the majority of their day in their regular classroom and get pulled out for a small portion of their day to receive English instruction. The class period strategy is mainly for middle school grade levels and is a full regular-credit class period dedicated to English instruction. The resource center strategy is one centralized classroom run by a full-time ESL teacher who pulls students from many classes at once to receive English instruction (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). The ESL approach is most commonly used in schools where the ELL population is diverse and composed of students who speak many different languages (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015)(Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). This model allows students who speak different languages to still be taught together. Another important characteristic is that this approach does not require the teacher to be proficient in any language other than English (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). 

The Bilingual model can again be broken down into three different strategies: Early-Exit Bilingual Programs, Late-Exit Programs, and Two-Way Bilingual Programs (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). The Early-Exit strategy allows the student's first language to be used for introduction to reading and clarification purposes, but phases out the usage of their first language as quickly as possible. Theoretically, the students should be proficient in English by the end of first or second grade. The Late-Exit strategy has more prolonged use of the student's first language. Students receive 40% or more of their instruction in their first language, even after they have been classified as proficient in English. The Two-Way Bilingual strategy attempts to create a classroom with 50% English-speaking students, and the other 50% all speak one other language. The instruction is provided in both languages equally and students learn the other language cooperatively (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). The biggest component of this model's success is that it depends on a teacher who is proficient in both English and the first language of the students. 

Sheltered English Instruction is quite different from the two previous models. In this approach, English language learners receive instruction only in English. The teacher in this model only speaks English and adapts content lessons according to the proficiency level of the students, and implements visuals to help students understand (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015). Students learn English through exposure in the classroom and through learning content.

Structured English Immersion is very similar to the Sheltered English Instruction model. In this model, students are again taught in English and do not receive ESL instruction, rather they learn the content through content instruction. The biggest difference is that the teacher in a Structured English Immersion model is able to clarify content using the student's first language when necessary, or has an ESL teaching credential (Program models for teaching English language learners, 2015).