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English as a Second Language (ESL) Program
Information and resources for those interested in the ESL Program at WWCS
Hola*Salut*Hallo*Привет*Jambo*Maakye*Kaselehlia*Gude*Chào*Kumusta* مرحبا *Mbote*Nì Hăo
WELCOME TO WINTON WOODS ESL PAGE
ESL - EVERY STUDENT LEARNS!
Please read the general information below, then click on the appropriate link for parents, students or teachers and administrators.
Winton Woods parents, students and teachers will find information to help them understand and take advantage of our district’s ESL program, including resources to help support English Language Learners.
We also hope visitors from other districts will find information and resources, including state-approved compliance forms, to help them serve their ELL students.
For All
ESL—English as a Second Language—is an instructional program to help English Language Learners (ELLs) do just that—learn English. It comprises a variety of instructional strategies and techniques to develop proficiency in Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing and Comprehension. Three ESL instructors serve our district, providing instruction in the basics, for those who speak little or no English, as well as more advanced lessons for those who speak more English. Eight classroom teachers in grades 1 through 4 also provide sheltered content instruction to beginning and intermediate level ELLs.
ESL Staff
| School | Teacher |
|---|---|
| Elementary School |
Kathryn Padilla Carrie Dreyer (gr 3), Taisha James (gr 3) Kausha Mehta (gr 4), Mary Snellgrove (gr 4) |
| High School |
Brandon Booth |
| Intermediate School | Kathryn Padilla |
| Middle School |
Gary Giblin, Lisa Giblin |
| Primary North | Michaela Noel (gr 1), Leslie Sterling (gr 2) |
| Primary South | Linda Ball (gr 1), Diane Nolan (gr 2) |
One of the instructors, Mr. Giblin, also serves as the District ESL Coordinator. He works with the ESL instructors, classroom teachers and administrators to support and serve the ELLs in all Winton Woods schools; monitors compliance with state and federal law regarding ELLs; and helps to develop educational strategies and approaches to serve our ELLs.
English Language Learners
Our population of English Language Learners continues to grow. In 2003-2004, the number of students served by our program was 62. In 2009-10, the number is nearly 250. They attend all six of our schools from Kindergarten through the 12th grade.
They come from many different countries—Cambodia, Colombia, Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Micronesia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Togo and Vietnam. About 67% of them speak Spanish, while the remainder speak some 25 different languages, including varieties of creole English. Some of them speak English with a high degree of proficiency; others are just learning the basics.
Research shows that it takes second language learners two to three years to learn basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and five to seven years to achieve cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) if they have had two to three years of first language schooling in their native country (Jim Cummins, 1981). If the student has not had schooling in his/her first language, CALP will take seven to ten years or more (Virginia Collier, 1995).
Our goal is to provide high-quality instruction in the English language, as well as appropriate modifications and accommodations in the mainstream classroom, so that English Language Learners may develop the second language skills necessary to successfully achieve academically and socially in the United States.
For more on the Winton Woods City Schools' Plan for English Language Learners, click here.
Resources for Teachers/Administrators
The flags: Congo, Mexico, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Micronesia, Cambodia, Ghana, Papua New Guinea
The languages: Spanish, French, German, Russian, Swahili, Twi, Pohnpei, Tok Pisin, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, Kikongo, Mandarin
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