ELT World North America

Massachusetts: Brazilian immigrants make up about a third of the population of Framingham, Massaschusetts. Many newspapers, radio stations and businesses cater to the immigrant’s needs. But the Brazilians still want desperately, to learn English. Eduardo de Oliveira of Feet in Two Worlds reports that the town’s English classes are so popular that you need to [...]

Wisconsin: The State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has announced that students from Racine Unified’s Limited English Proficient, also known as English Language Learner, programs have met the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives for the 2007-08 school year. “The student’s progress is a reflection of the instruction by our bilingual and ESL teachers,” said Dr. [...]

Massachusetts: The Morse is one of several libraries in the area conducting English as a Second Language programs (through Literacy Unlimited) for those not from around here — and that “around” can mean anywhere from Mexico to Moldavia. “We asked students, ‘what would you like to learn?’ They want to speak, to have that social [...]

Tennessee: The Daily Beacon reports how the University of Tennessee is hosting several exchange students visiting the United States from Brazil. For five weeks, 20 students will be on campus, learning about the history and culture of East Tennessee. The English Language Institute began in 1978 to encourage developing English language skills of non-native students. [...]

Nebraska: In 1996, Crete had 59 English Language Learners. By 2006, it had 560-a nearly 850 percent increase-and they now constitute one-third of the total student enrollment. But it’s certainly not the only community in this country with sky-rocketing numbers of Spanish speakers. Across the United States, but especially in the new “gateway” states (which [...]

Illinois: Opinions clashed over the value of Chicago Public Schools efforts to alleviate discriminatory effects on students who are learning to speak English, with federal court supervision of the system hanging in the balance.
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Illinois: Tess Setchell thinks the new dual-language learning program her 5-year-old daughter will enter this fall at Salt Creek Elementary School will help her grow and prepare her for a multilingual society. Though the dual-language program will be new at the Elk Grove Village school and in Arlington Heights-based Community Consolidated School District 59, other [...]

Mississippi: Claudia Smith hopscotches countries and continents throughout the day teaching at three Petal schools as one of two English Language Learners instructors. The English Language Learners, or ELL program, began in the Petal School District during the 2002-03 school year with only a few students, according to program director Kathy Hall. At the Jan. [...]

Tennessee: Lourdes Perez breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that Nashville voters on Thursday had rejected a proposal to require that all government business be done in English. But she says she’s “saddened that this has been brought up again in the state capital.” The proposal sends the message “that we’re not welcoming,” [...]

California: The bilingual education program at Boronda Meadows Elementary School in Salinas has been awarded the 2008 Seal of Excellence by the California Association for Bilingual Education. It’s one of just two to receive the award for the year, notes The Californian.
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