Language Minorities and ESL & Bilingual Education

in California Schools

Dr. Melvin R. AndradeSophia Junior College

Conference on Language Diversity & Language Ecology, Linguapax Asia 2004, United Nations Univ

ersity, Tokyo, April 17, 2004

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About this Presentation

• Purpose: to present an overview of issues concerning language diversity and ESL & bilingual in California (informational)

• Intended audience: the general public and educators interested in but unfamiliar with this topic

• Background knowledge: no specialized knowledge required

Contents

• Language diversity across the U.S.A• Language diversity in California• Bilingual & ESL Education• Laws,policies, political issues• What about Japan?

Percentage of persons 5 years and over who speak a language other than English at home and speak English less than “very well.” Census 2000, TM-P029

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Census 2000 Brief: Language Use and English-Speaking Ability

• Fig. 1: Census questions

• Fig. 2: Non-English languages at home

• Fig. 3: Languages most frequently spoken

• Fig. 4: Non-English languages by region

• Fig. 5: Distribution of non-English languages

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Californian’s Use of English and Other Languages (Census 2000)

• Map 1: English language use at home

• Map 2: Spanish language use at home

• Map 3: Asian & Pacific Island languages . . .

• Fig. 1: Non-English language use by race . . .

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Students whose native language is not English are classified as fluent English speakers (FEP) or English learners (EL):

• 1990-91 20% of all students (986,462)

• 2000-01 25% of all students (1,490, 666)

More than 25% of California’s students are English learners

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About one-third of California's students inthe primary grades is learning English

36 36 3532

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K G-1 G-2 G-3 G-4 G-5 G-6 G-7 G-8 G-9 G-10 G-11 G-12

Grade

Perc

entag

e

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English Learners (EL) are:

• Students whose primary language - as reported by their parents - is not English

• and whose performance on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) indicates they do not yet possess the skills necessary to succeed in a school's regular instructional program.

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California English Language Development Test (CELDT)

• Students take the CELDT upon initial enrollment and annually thereafter until it is determined that they have mastered English. At that point, they are reclassified fluent English proficient (FEP) and are no longer counted as part of a school's EL population.

11Elementary school, East Palo Alto, CA

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Pull-out tutoring for 5th graders (1)

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Pull-out tutoring for 5th graders (2)

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In 2001-02, 25.4% of California's students were learning English, while an additional 14.3% had mastered English though it was not their first language.

The primary languages spoken by English Learners in California public schools, and the percentage of English Learners who speak each language are shown in the following graph. (The "Others" category includes almost 50 more specific languages.)

15California’s English Language Learners 2000-01

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What is Bilingual Education?• A method used to teach language-minority students i

n public schools.

• The concept is that teaching English Language Learners partially in their native language will enhance their understanding of the curriculum and help them succeed in an otherwise English-based environment.

• The hope is that once ELL students are fairly proficient in English, they can continue their education in classes with their English-speaking peers. (Source: www.ecs.org)

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The question of whether or not these programs offer the best education for ELLs remains a point of contention.

• Proponents of bilingual education believe it is the ELL’s right and need to make use of their native languages to ease their transition to an English-only education.

• Opponents say that the programs are hindering students’ ability to learn curriculum by cradling them in their native languages too long.

• (Source: www.ecs.org)

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Bilingual Education Act (Title VII)• The bilingual programs of today are mostly a produc

t of the Bilingual Education Act (Title VII) passed in 1968.

• Congress passed the act as part of Civil Rights Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.

• The Bilingual Education Act requires that, when needed, schools must provide equal educational opportunities specifically for language-minority students. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) enforces the act.

• (Source: www.ecs.org)

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What BEA (Title VII) Requires

• Under the act, ELL students must be kept in an adequate program until they can read, write and comprehend English well enough to participate meaningfully in all aspects of the school’s curriculum.

• While the OCR provides a set of characteristics that bilingual programs must have, it does not require any specific program for ELL instruction.

(Source: www.ecs.org)

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Some of the common programs used by schools include:

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English as a Second Language (ESL)

• The main focus of this program is to teach students the English language. Classes may include students of different languages.

• The language of instruction is mostly English, with little or no use of the ELL’s native language.

• Usually ESL is taught during a specific school period, and students are involved in other mainstream, immersion or bilingual classes during the day.

(Source: www.ecs.org)

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Transitional bilingual education

• This program might also be described as an early-exit program.

• The emphasis on grade promotion and graduation requirements encourages students in these classes to learn English-language skills and join classrooms with their English-speaking peers as soon as possible.

• While both English and the ELL’s native language are used for instruction, programs vary in the amount of time each language is used.

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Dual-language immersion

• In these classes, there are a fairly equal number of English-proficient students and ELLs.

• The classes are structured so that the curriculum is taught both in English and the other language. For example, an instructor might teach sociology in Spanish one week and in English the next.

• All students are expected to learn both languages. Dual-language immersion also might be described as two-way bilingual education.

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Because of variations among bilingual programs, data on the academic success of ELL students can be difficult to evaluate.

• The General Accounting Office reported in February 2001 that out of 70 studies reviewed, only three focused specifically on how long it took students to attain English proficiency. General estimates ranged from four to eight years.

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Part of the problem is a lack of consensus on how English proficiency is defined.

• Most states allow ELLs to be exempted from assessments if they have been in the United States or enrolled in bilingual education programs for three years or less.

• In some cases, ELL students also are given exemptions based on their English-language-proficiency levels.

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Seeking for Standardized Assessment Systems

• The Improving America’s Schools Act (IASA) of 1994 required that by the end of the 2000-01 school year, each state must have an assessment system that includes ELLs and ensures that they make adequate progress from year to year.

• Including ELL students in statewide assessments is aimed at creating stronger accountability for bilingual programs.

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Another development affecting bilingual education is the English-Only Movement.• Founded in the early 1980s, this movement prom

otes the enactment of legislation that requires the use of English by government agencies.

• In a similar vein, English for the Children, a national advocacy organization founded by Ron Unz, encourages the dissolution of bilingual education in favor of English immersion.

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Unz sponsored a successful ballot initiative in California (1998) that required schools to use “sheltered” English immersion as the core method for teaching ELL students.

• Temporarily shelters ELLs from competing academically with native English-speaking students in mainstream classes.

• ELL students must transfer out of sheltered classes after one year, unless a waiver is signed by the parent. (Traditional bilingual programs have no time limits.)

• Unz’s goal is to accelerate the process of moving ELL students into mainstream classrooms.

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Some Important Events in California Bilingual Education Policy

• 1967 Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California, ended a 95-year old state education mandate that required all schools to carry out instruction in English.

• 1968 President Johnson signed Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funds for staff and materials development as well as parent involvement for students with limited English skills.

• There was no requirement for schools to use non-English languages. The law was specified for students who are both poor and "educationally disadvantaged because of their inability to speak English."

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1974 The Federal Supreme Court ruled on the case Lau v. Nichols and stated that :

"There is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilities, textbooks, teachers and curriculum; for students who do not understand English are effectively foreclosed from any meaningful education."

Regarding remedies,

"No specific remedy is urged upon us. Teaching English to students of Chinese ancestry who do not speak the language is one choice. Giving instructions to this group in Chinese is another. There may be others. . . ."

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1976 Bilingual-Bicultural Education Act

• The first state legislative act that required school districts to provide language minority students with equal educational opportunities despite their limited proficiency in English.

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1986 Proposition 63: English as the "official language o

f California."

• California voters overwhelmingly passed this ballot initiative.

• Although passage of this initiative itself did not prevent native language instruction from occurring in the public schools.

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• All public schools in California are required to conduct instruction in English.

• English learners are placed in intensive structured / immersion classes for no more than one year, after which they are to be placed in mainstream English classes. “Sheltered English”

• The student’s parent or guardian may waive these classes.

• An instructional program was created for individuals who tutor LEP students in their community. CBET

1998 Proposition 227 (“Unz Initiative”)

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Community-Based English Tutoring (CBET)

Helps local educational agencies provide free or subsidized programs of English language instruction to parents or other adult members of the community who pledge to tutor English learners.

CBET > Purpose > Funding > Eligibility

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Purpose

For local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide free or subsidized programs of adult English language instruction to parents or other members of the community who pledge to provide personal English language tutoring to English learners.

CBET > Purpose > Funding > Eligibility

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Funding

LEAs may use these funds for

• direct program services,

• community notification processes,

• transportation services, and

• background checks required of the tutors who volunteer in public schools settings.

CBET > Purpose > Funding > Eligibility

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Eligibility

An eligible LEA is any

• school district,

• county office of education, or

• direct-funded charter school

that enrolled one or more English learners in the previous school year.

CBET > Purpose > Funding > Eligibility

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What about Japan?

Somusho Statistics Bureau http://www.stat.go.jp/data/nenkan/02.htm

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Registered Foreigners in JapanSource: Japan Statistics Bureau

0200,000400,000600,000800,000

1,000,0001,200,0001,400,0001,600,0001,800,0002,000,000

1980

1985

1990

1995

1999

2000

2001

2002

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Nationality of foreigners in Japan by world region

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000Asia

Nor th A m e ri c a

South Ameri c a

Europe

Africa

Oceania

Other

Non-nationality

(Source: Japan Statistic Bureau)

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Foreigners entering Japan in 2002 by world region

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

2,500,000

3,000,000

3,500,000

4,000,000 Asia

America, North

America, Sout h

Europe

Africa

Oceania

Non-nationality

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Long-term residents entering Japan in 2002

53,821

1,958

41,239

13863

1,207138

Asia

America, North

America, Sout h

Europe

Africa

Oceania

Non-nationality

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Foreigners entering Japan as permanent residents in 2002

148,645

1,682 1,167 1518,052

6,784

10,621

Asia

America, Nort h

America, Sout h

Europe

Africa

Oceania

Non-nationality

Total = 177,102

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References and handout available by e-mail:

m-andrad @ jrc. sophia. ac. jp