EDUCATION REPORT - ESOL and Glebe School

EDUCATION REPORT
—
June 20, 2002: ESOL and Glebe School

By Jerilyn Watson

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Millions of students in American schools today are recent immigrants² or children of immigrants. About ninety-
percent of their families come from countries where English is not spoken. To succeed in school, the students
need help to learn English. Many take part in a program called English for Speakers of Other Languages or
ESOL (EE-sol).

For example, Glebe Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, has almost three-hundred students. More than
twenty-five percent of these children study ESOL. Most of the children’s families are from Central and South
America. Others are from Russia, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and East Asia. Students at the school have
families from more than twenty-five countries.

Some of these students recently helped VOA celebrate its sixtieth anniversary³ of broadcasting. They made
birthday pictures and messages that are being shown at VOA headquarters⁴ in Washington⁵, D.C. For example,
Damaris Gaitan (Dah-MAHR-ees Guy-TAN) drew a round world to show that VOA broadcasts internationally.
Damaris is in the fourth year of studies at Glebe Elementary School. Her family came here from El Salvador.

Pat⁶ Nomina (NAHM-in -ah) teaches ESOL at Glebe Elementary School. Mizz
Nomina uses several teaching⁷ methods. For example, she develops study guides
about subjects like the seasons, science, history and the weather. Mizz Nomina says
her students enjoy singing songs with English words. She says songs that repeat
words are especially helpful. Students, parents and educators have praised the
school’s ESOL program.

However, education experts say many other American schools are not helping⁸
immigrant¹ children who do not speak English well. They say not enough teachers
are trained to work with these students. Schools may fail to check on their progress.
Children may lose interest because they cannot understand what they hear and read.

A new group formed by the federal⁹ government may improve this situation. Thirteen experts serve on this
National Literacy¹⁰ Panel¹¹. They will examine research about teaching English to young speakers of other
languages. Educators hope the experts
’
work will help develop better ways to help immigrant children.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

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1 immigrant   

adj.(从国外)移来的，移民的；n.移民，侨民

参考例句：

• Life in the USA was very hard for almost every new immigrant.美国的生活几乎对每一个新移民都很艰难。
• I'd like to obtain some information about applying for an immigrant visa.我想取一些申请移民签证的资料。

2 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 anniversary   

n.周年(纪念日)

参考例句：

• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
• Today is my parents'30th wedding anniversary.今天是我父母结婚30周年纪念日。

4 headquarters   

n.司令部，指挥部；总部，总店

参考例句：

• Several great guns from the headquarters are coming to see us today.总部的几个大人物今天要来看我们。
• The bank has its headquarters in Pairs.这家银行的总行在巴黎。

5 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

6 pat   

n.轻拍，拍打声；vt.轻拍，拍打；vi.轻跑，轻击；adv.适时，彻底；adj.油腔滑调的，恰好的，合适的

参考例句：

• Could you hear the pat?你能听到轻轻的拍击声吗？
• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。

7 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

10 literacy   

n.识字，有文化，读写能力

参考例句：

• I can't believe that he failed the literacy test.我无法相信他识字测试不及格。
• The literacy rate there is the highest in Central America.那里的识字率居中美洲之首。

11 panel   

n.面，板，专门小组，控制板，仪表盘

参考例句：

• The unusual control panel on the walls caught our attention.墙上不同寻常的控制板引起了我们的注意。
• The panel of judges included several well-known writers.评判小组中包括几位知名作家。