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Complex Learning Environments: The ESL Challenge

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, September/October 2018 Issue

By Adam Stone

For K–12 teachers of English as a Second Language, the shifting nature of the ESL population is creating a new set of classroom challenges.

As an ESL teacher at Decatur Central High School in Indianapolis, IN, Kameron Packard has seen it firsthand. “The only thing they have in common today is they are not grade-level fluent,” he says. “They are not from the same country. They don’t have the same background knowledge. If you are teaching algebra, a kid who comes from another school can fall right in. In ESL, a kid comes in and the experience is very disjointed, with kids constantly playing catch up.”

Canada’s education officials recognize the complex learning environments that confront many ESL learners today. “These children have often suffered traumatic experiences, and may also be separated from family members. They may have been in transit for a number of years, or may not have had access to formal education in their home country or while in transit,” according to policy documents from the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Against this backdrop, educators have developed a range of best practices for effectively engaging English-language learners, from a focus on family engagement to a growing reliance on educational apps.

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Adam Stone is a seasoned journalist with 20+ years’ experience. He covers education, technology, government, and the military, along with diverse other topics.

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Adam Stone
Adam Stone
Adam Stone is a seasoned journalist with 20+ years’ experience. He covers education, technology, government, and the military, along with diverse other topics.

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