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ESL, ELL, or FLNE? How to Describe Students Whose First Language Isn’t English.

September 27, 2017

ESL. Non-native English speaker. Limited English proficient.   These may be some of the terms that come to mind when you’re trying to describe students whose first language isn’t English. But over time, as officials have recognized that some of these labels can perpetuate negative or inaccurate narratives, the terminology has changed and evolved.   Today, you might hear the U.S. Department of Education talk about English language learners (ELL) or just English learners (EL).
Youth Voice: We Must Never Give Up

July 11, 2017

Whether it’s learning English or challenging the negative stereotypes of being an immigrant, one young man demonstrates the importance of persistence, courage, and hope in hard times in this moving personal narrative.
Youth Voice: What Teachers Should Know About English Language Learners

November 17, 2016

Throughout my life, I have questioned why school seemed so difficult for me. Where did I go wrong? Where did my parents fail? Did those eight years living in Mexico set me back, or was it the lack of attention I received from my teachers who knew I was only a Spanish speaker?
How One State Uses Early Warning Systems to Help All Students Graduate

October 06, 2016

While the dropout rate in Massachusetts has declined in recent years, reaching 1.9 percent in 2015, huge gaps remain. Last year, students whose first language is not English (FLNE) made up 18 percent of students enrolled in grades 9-12 but over 30 percent of the students who didn’t graduate on time. We have our work cut out for us.