A Comparison of ELL Programs

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Both Sheltered English Immersion and Two-way Bilingual Education programs use strategies that facilitate language development.  Both of these types of programs would use the same set of global standards presented in the TESOL or WIDA method to further language proficiency in content-based curriculum to ensure that the ESL student keeps up academically with his native English-speaking peers. The fundamental differences between the two programs are not in the standards but in the retention and development of the native language. Both programs use strategies such as: separating language from instruction (meaning teachers tend to use only one language for a given lesson), not correcting the students’ language and being more concerned with understanding of content, using visuals to supplement verbal information, encouraging students with positive feedback, and providing substantial explanations. Students are encouraged and allowed many opportunities for English language production.

In a Sheltered English Immersion program, all instruction is given in English.  Teachers tailor their English to a level that can be understood by limited English proficient students.  This program focuses on helping students keep up with their native English-speaking peers academically while still helping them develop English proficiency.  Sheltered English Immersion includes a variety of techniques to help regular classroom teachers make content-area material comprehensible for ESL students who already have some English proficiency.  Students in a sheltered English immersion program are grouped with other ESL students to learn content-based instruction in math, science, history and other subjects. Teachers use cues such as visuals, props and body language, linguistic modifications such as repetition and pauses during speech, and cooperative learning strategies, and they focus on central concepts rather than on details by using a thematic approach.

Two-way Bilingual Education consists of English and a second language being taught at the same time. Students will not just study the languages, but they will learn content-based curriculum in both languages. A two-way bilingual education program is made up of half native English speakers and half native speakers of the second language. This program balances language, academic and social development by emphasizing them all equally. The minority students whose native language is not English are highly valued and their language knowledge is used as a resource. The two native language groups are able to strengthen one another’s skills in the second language and a positive attitude towards both groups is promoted. Only one language is used in the classroom at a time.  This program uses the same standards as a Sheltered English Immersion program except that students also continue to develop proficiency in a second language.  This is beneficial to both the English language learners and the other language learners.