Meeting the Needs of English Learners

The authors discuss educational issues that trail English Language Learners (ELLs) by looking at the experiences of Mumina, a student who entered a U. S. classroom seven years ago after spending time in a refugee camp in Kenya. ELLs - especially at the high school level - are a challenging group for educators because they have a relatively short period of time to develop English proficiency and literacy skills, while simultaneously learning content. ELLs are diverse groups of students that cover a wide spectrum of language, literacy, and educational needs. The authors state that rich classroom learning experiences are necessary. At the policy level, they indicate that in order to meet the needs of ELLs, a greater investment in teacher reparation programs and professional development demands top priority.