ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELLS)

English language learners are a diverse population of students across the United States that come from a family that speaks a language other than English. The identification of English language learners begins in kindergarten and some schools in pre-schools. Identification of an English language learner begins with the completion of the school Home Language Survey (HLS) during school registration. Across the United States, Schools must identify potential English language learners during school registration. Schools use a Home Language Survey as part of their new student registration, and such form can vary from school-to-school and state-to-state.

Several terms are used to refer to English language learners. Below is a list of the terms you might encounter:

• ELL = English language learners

• ESL = English as a Second Language student

• EL = English learner

• LEP = Limited English Proficiency student

• Multilingual learner

When a student is identified as an English language learner student, language instruction is offered to address the student’s academics and language. Research says that 75% of English language learners are born in the USA and enter in Kindergarten. The remaining English language learners come to the US at any given time from around the world. When a family registers a home language survey is completed to begin the identification process of an English language learner. A language proficiency test is administered to identify the student's language skills and determine the type of language services.

Is your child an ELL student? At what age was he/she identified?