The various English as a Second Language (ESL) programs along with their acronyms can be confusing, even for ESL teachers! The goal of these programs is for ESL students to acquire social and academic English as quickly and as effectively as possible, so they are able to succeed in school and beyond. Here is some clarification with ESL programs in the United States:
Mainstreaming/Submersion: ESL students are placed in a classroom with no English support. The curriculum and instruction are not modified to make the content more comprehensible for ESL students.
Mainstreaming with Pull-Out: ESL students are placed in a mainstream classroom and are pulled out of the classroom for English language instruction and learning that is at the level of the ESL student. The amount of time the ESL student spends with the ESL teacher depends on their proficiency level, state regulations, and, realistically speaking, the schedule of the ESL teacher. The ESL teacher can also “push-in” to the mainstream classroom to provide ESL instruction for their ESL students and/or to provide support during the classroom teacher’s instruction.Co-teaching (complementary teaching) can also occur where both teachers plan and give instruction that is appropriate for all students.
Sheltered English Immersion (SEI):ESL students are placed in a mainstream classroom where the curriculum and content are modified by a trained and licensed teacher in order to make content understandable for ESL students.The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) is a model that helps ESL teachers plan and evaluate their sheltered instruction. It is important to note that many teachers believe that SEI is “just good teaching” and modifications are not really needed for ESL students if they have a “good teacher” who implements “good teaching”. Although some modifications are similar, there are differences between being a “good teacher” and effective second language teaching and learning. There is much knowledge and experience that comes with teaching ESL students that a mainstream teacher understandably lacks.
Newcomer Program: Students who recently arrive in the United States may be placed in a newcomer program. Newly arrived ESL students are placed in an ESL sheltered classroom that is welcoming and supportive, so they can adjust to the English language and American culture. When the student has developed enough English, the student transitions to a mainstream classroom and still receives ESL support. This may take one to two years or longer.
Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE): ESL students are first taught in their native language and are allowed to use their native language in the classroom. Students’ native language in the classroom is gradually decreased and is replaced with English. The goal is to increase proficiency in English while decreasing the use of the native language in the classroom. When students are proficient enough in English, they are transitioned to the mainstream classroom.
It is important to mention that none of the above ESL programs are bilingual programs because the aim of these programs is monolingualism. Just because these programs are used for bilingual students does not mean that they are bilingual education programs. Even the TBE model is a weak form of bilingual education since the goal is to replace the students’ native language with English.