English as a Second Language Teacher

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English as a second language (ESL) teachers have the opportunity to help students of any age learn English and leap over language barriers. ESL teachers teach English, including reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, to people whose first language is not English. Their students may not know English at all, or may not speak, understand and write English with the same ability as a native English speaker. ESL teacher is the most common term in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The term "English to speakers of other languages" (ESOL) teacher also refers to this career. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand, the term ESL has been replaced by ESOL ESL teachers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are school teachers who have the extra skills to teach students who speak limited English. Sometimes having certification to teach ESL can create job opportunities for teachers. For example, school teachers with ESL certification are able to teach English language learners (ELL) and limited English proficient (LEP) students. The numbers of students in these categories keep growing. ELL students are learning English. They take English language assistance classes in the school system. These classes can include ESL, high intensity language training and bilingual education classes. In the 2003-04 school year, 3.8 million American students used ELL services (11 percent of all students), according to the U.S. Department of Education. LEP students have a first language that is not English and have difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language. In the 2003-04 school year, 63 percent of public schools had students who were designated as LEP (11 percent of all students), says the U.S. Department of Education. The volume of students needing help to improve their English language skills can only mean one thing:

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