Skip To Main Content

Who is an English Language Learner (ELL)?

 
English Learners (ELs) may have a language background that combines any of the following:
  • students born outside the U.S. whose native language is not English;
  • students born in countries where English is one of several languages of wider communication, but the variety of English is significantly different from Standard American English;
  • students born in the U.S. who come from a home and/or community where a language other than English is dominant;
  • students from migrant families whose native language is not English and who use a language other than English in their home and/or community.

The population of ELs varies widely in such factors as:

  • educational background in the native language and in English;
  • degree of mobility of family (including traveling within the U.S. or from the U.S. to the home country);
  • literacy skills in the native language and in English;
  • the degree to which parents are able to support students' learning at home.

These differences affect the time that ELLs will need to acquire English, the skills that will be emphasized in ESL class, and the teaching techniques that best meet their needs.