ESL
English as a Second Language
ESL
ESL
English as a Second Language
Philosophy
"English is a universal language that has contributed to bridging gaps among nations and people. As an ESL teacher, I feel it is important for students to master the English language and become international citizens. In this way, bilingual education is important because it gives students a better sense of themselves, their community and a better appreciation for diversity as a country.Philosophy
Learning a new language is one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. English can be a difficult language to learn; however, the ELL students at Lodi High School truly come to school each day with enthusiasm to not just learn but to immerse themselves in the language and culture of their new country while at the same time honoring the richness of their native culture.
Our ELL program begins with ELL level 1 (Beginner). This level is for new students with little or no knowledge of the English language. In this class students, will focus on being able to create language at the sentence level. The curriculum focuses on pronunciation, learning basic vocabulary, everyday communication and necessary grammar skills.
Our ELL level 2 (Intermediate) program allows students with some English to explore more advanced vocabulary and linguistic experiences with a concentration on developing all four WIDA domains of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. At this level, students are able to create sentence-level speech and writing using verbs in simple present, past and future. They learn present and past progressive and other basic grammar concepts to increase the complexity of the ideas they are able to express. They begin to write at the paragraph-level and focus on participating in short conversations about familiar topics.
Our ELL level 3 ( Advanced) program expands student understanding of basic grammar concepts to add complexity to their speech and writing. They read, write, speak, and listen about topics related to general life experiences and practice expressing and supporting personal opinions. They learn to write simple narrative compositions and well-organized informative paragraphs. At this level students develop the highest level of skills necessary to begin to consider transitioning out of the ELL program into mainstream English classes with a solid foundation for High School and beyond including College and Career readiness."
Why the WIDA Standards?
At Lodi High School, our program utilizes the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessments (WIDA) Standards. Here's why:Why the WIDA Standards?
Vision of language proficiency has expanded to encompass both social contexts and academic contexts.
Standards-based instruction that integrates language and content reflects the construct of “cognitive academic language proficiency”
NCLB mandates that ELP standards be aligned to academic content standards and the ELP tests be standards based.
