English as a Second Language
by Karen Marymee
May 01, 2008
This spring the English as a Second Language (ESL) students were given the English Language development Assessment (ELDA). Each student will receive a report of achievement in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, writing, comprehension (listening and reading), and a composite score. A copy of this report will be sent to parents at the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. This assessment helps us to evaluate how students are progressing. It also enables us to make good curriculum choices.
The students have made a lot of progress this year. We are hopeful that students’ progress in use of the English language will continue during the summer. Here are a few suggestions .
Speaking – Use English skills when shopping or doing other business. Begin a conversation in English with someone who speaks English.
Listening –Listen to English television shows. Check out English videos from the library.
Reading – Check out books from the library. Read magazines and newspapers in the library.
Writing – Keep a journal of summer activities.
Finally, one of the best suggestions I have heard is to keep a notebook of new English words. Adding one or two new words every day would be a good goal. Make an effort to use every word in the notebook. Learning English is hard work, but the lifelong rewards make it worth the effort.
