Introducing a new language to non-native speakers may very well be one of the most challenging educational jobs. ESL teachers require much patience and perseverance. Thankfully, many great resources for ESL can be found online, from reference tools and communities to full-service websites, all designed to create a more functional learning environment for the students.
So how long does it actually take for someone to learn English? How long should ESL students receive language support? These are the most frequently asked questions by school instructors, school board members, and administrators.
One study showed that the main variable of how long it takes to learn English is the amount of proper education that students have received in their FIRST language. Language is best acquired within a person’s first few years of life. These years are crucial for basically every type of learning; and this is why close parental guidance is so greatly encouraged during this time.
Students who were between 8-11 years of age and who had 2-3 years of native language education tested at their grade level in English within 5-7 years. These students were the most successful.
Students with little or no formal education who began before the age of eight took 7-10 years to reach their grade level average in English language literacy.
Students who tested below their grade level in native language literacy reached the 50th percentile in 7-10 years. Many of these students never reached their grade level averages.
This data has proven to be factual, despite the students’ native language, socioeconomic status, and country of origin.
ESL students who were educated only in English performed very well in kindergarten through grade three. The strides in English were dramatic which were made by these students.
From grade four through middle school and high school, when the scholastic criteria of the curriculum becomes more intense, these students dropped substantially in their performance level below the 50th percentile.
So why did this occur? Native English speakers have shown to make an average gain of ten months each school year. However, ESL learners only make a gain of 6-8 months per school year. The gap between native-English and ESL speakers broadened from grade 4 through high school. In the aforementioned study, the native language that was spoken by these students had no influence on the results. Students from an Asian background made the same progress as those who speak Spanish.
Students who are enrolled in Developmental Bilingual and Two-Way Bilingual Immersion programs reach the 50th percentile in both English and in their native language by grades 4 or 5 in all subjects. These students are able to sustain the strides made in English and, sometimes, to achieve even higher than average Native-English-speaker performance as they go through their secondary years of schooling.
Are all teachers qualified to teach ESL learners?
Are they given sufficient materials?
What instructional methods to they practice?
Are students moved into each English program too quickly?