ESL programs help students who have limited English proficiency.

The objective is to
help students who do not identify English as their primary language learn English.
These programs are extremely important, as the teacher strives to help students
acquire English proficiency in order to succeed academically in English-based
curriculum schools.

It’s important to note that the students in the class may not all share the same
native language. For this reason, the teacher addresses the class only in English. The
coursework in the program focuses on teaching the four language skills: reading,
writing, speaking, and listening.

Many ESL students come from countries outside North America or celebrate
different cultures. ESL teachers also strive to help students integrate into society and
understand local customs, norms and values, while not replacing students’ own
customs, norms, and values.

The importance of ESL is reflected in the fact that many districts even require all
elementary teachers to have an ESL certification. You’ll want to make sure to
research your top choice school to determine if you need ESL.

Bilingual Education teachers instruct in two different languages. The educator

focuses on teaching content in both languages, such as geography, history, math,
etc. While English is used as one language of instruction, students are not specifically
taught English language lessons. By incorporating both the use of English and the
students’ native language equally, their English language skills will continue to
develop and strengthen.

The goal of bilingual classroom instruction is to help students become fluent in both
languages.

Like ESL classrooms, students may also come from different cultural backgrounds.
Teachers should be mindful of this and help all students feel comfortable, respected
and valued in the classroom.

Both ESL and Bilingual Education teachers are in high demand. In a rapidly
diversifying world, the use of English is on the rise. Since 1965, the number of
 immigrants in the U.S. has quadrupled; this means many students are entering our
school systems without the simple tools needed to succeed, such as understanding
the language of instruction – English. One out of every four students speak a
language other than English in their home and our school systems are struggling to
provide every student with teachers they need. Every student is equally important,
and ESL and Bilingual teachers truly go above and beyond to meet the needs of all
our students.

If you need more inspiration to become an ESL or Bilingual teacher, both of which
promote bilingualism, check out this list of qualities attributed to bi- or multilingual
speakers:

 Increased chance of getting hired

 Higher salary
 Advanced cognitive skills
 Bridges cultural and heritage gaps
 Easier to learn additional languages
 Improved pragmatic skills
 Multicultural sensitivity