Content Area Teachers Vs. ESL Teachers

As a college freshman, back in 1986, as I was taking my first Shakespearean Tragedy course, in a effort to prepare for becoming a high school English teacher, it would have never occurred to me that twenty years later, I would be interviewing for a high school English teaching position, and told that in order to be offered the job, I would be required to obtain my ESL Program Specialist certification. However, that is indeed what happened. Of course, in a job interview, sometimes applicants will agree just about anything in order to get the position, and that is what I did. At the time, I had no idea that that meant I would be taking seven classes over the course of the next two years, 45 miles away from where I was to be teaching. However, now that I have one of my two years under my belt, I have to admit that not only is this program excellent in preparing teachers for the many culturally diverse students that we have been assured are on their way into even our area, it has also considerably strengthened my skills as an English teacher to native English speaking students as well. It is for this reason that the article from the Journal Of Educational Issues Of Language Minority Students concerning "Instruction of ESL Students Comparing All-English Classroom Teacher Knowledge and ESL Teacher Knowledge" found my interest.

This article points out that LEP students are entering English or regular classrooms in unprecedented numbers. Particularly at the secondary level, many teachers who are expected to teach these students feel under-prepared and sometimes even resentful, as they consider themselves primarily as content area teachers and not as language specialists. Many content area teachers feel that the ESL teacher should not only prepare the students prior to them entering a regular classroom, but that this preparation can occur in short period of time. This article supports preparing all content teachers for working with LEP students in their classrooms.

The study conducted in this article questioned both content teachers and ESL teachers and how they adjust their instruction for LEP students. In comparing the two groups of teachers based on their responses, it was discovered that most of the regular classroom teachers see language development and parental involvement as the obligation of the ESL instructor and treat LEP students largely the same as regular students. Many regular classroom teachers do not grasp the importance of their role in the language, intellectual development, and eventual success of the LEP students.

In an area like ours (rural, PA), there are so few ESL students that teachers who are trained in ESL, like me, are also full-time classroom teachers. I believe that because of this, it is even more essential for ESL teachers and administrators to conduct in-services and training for all content area teachers who must interact with ESL students. As an English teacher, I see little difference between this logic and that of impressing upon all teachers that Reading Skills, as well as Study Skills (how to approach the textbook, etc.) can and should be taught in some capacity, in every classroom. This training or awareness is yet another responsibility that is probably going to be delegated to the ESL teacher; however, with the support of the administration, and articles such as this, our LEP students might have a better chance of feeling connected with their class content, the instructor, and their classmates throughout the day, and not just in their ESL classrooms.

Constantino, Rebecca., Ph.D. "A Study Concerning Instruction Of ESL Students."
Spring, 1994. The Journal Of Educational Issues of Language Minority Students. Sept. 28, 2007.