ELL

English Language Learners

(Program formerly known as ESL)

Program Philosophy

The purpose of the English Language Learners (ELL) program is to provide experiences that promote individual and social well being and to provide equal educational access for students whose primary language is not English or who come from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on their language proficiency.  It is an interdisciplinary program that helps students acquire essential skills for learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture.  Recognizing that each student is unique, it is an aim of the program to be responsive to the initial and changing needs of the student and to maintain flexibility within the program.

The ELL program emphasizes instructional assistance in the four skill areas of language development:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  As such, the ELL program enables non- or limited English speaking students to communicate in English at a level that will enable them to perform successfully in mainstream classes and to function successfully in the cultural mainstream. 

The ELL program is committed to encouraging a positive self-concept; to maintaining a healthy attitude toward individual differences; and to creating a school wide climate of understanding, empathy and interaction among faculty, students and staff.