English Language Learners: A Nation with Multiple Languages

by: The National Council of Teachers of English

Over the course of time, many immigrants have traveled to

America where this country has been known as the melting pot for
having a high rate of various languages, cultures, and ethnicities that
have collided to lead for their to be a higher level of English language
learners. This article discusses the issues that ELLs have had to
overcome as well as what myths there are regarding the practices and
instruction approaches in working with ELLs. Although ELLs are
clustered into one group of students, this complex group is full of
students who have diverse needs and gifts that make it at times
challenging to ensure all students needs are met.
As stated in the article, One thing is certain: there is no one
profile for an ELL student, nor is one single response adequate to meet
their educational goals and needs. For educators, we must
acknowledge and support the idea that all students are unique and
have specific needs. Within the article, there are several statistics
focusing on ELLs that have impacted the ways ELLs learn and grow in
this country. Due to the rapid growth of student population, ELLs are
struggling academically and the rates of succeeding levels of
proficiency arent easy to conquer.

As I continued to read through the article, there were specific

myths regarding the ELL population that I found to be interesting and
intriguing to discuss and review. One common misconception is that
when ELL students are able to speak the English language fluently, he
or she has mastered it. This is not valid due to the fact that the
production and use of oral language uses different structures and
vocabulary compared to other forms of language including written.
Teachers must not make this false assumption and must become fully
aware in creating instructional opportunities where ELLs can progress
their skills of the English language in all aspects of the language.
A core piece to this article that I found to be beneficial is the
recommendations for effective ELL instruction for teachers. One
attribute that I found to be beneficial for myself as an educator was the
idea that setting high expectations for ELLs will positively impact their
success rate. As stated in the article, ELLs will perform much better if
placed according to academic achievement rather than language
proficiency. At times, many educators tend to lower the standards to
support the students needs. However, this is truly a disservice to the
students. We must remember that every student has the opportunity
to grow and flourish at his or her own pace. As educators, we must
remember the core principles of teaching and how we can effectively
structure the instructional practices to shape a positive path for all
ELLs.