A recent study estimates that at least 3 million U.S. children live in households headed by undocumented adults, often in poverty partly due to the adults’ limited English skills. Substantial evidence shows that holding all else constant, increased English ability brings higher earnings
with the greatest benefits accruing to more highly educated immigrants who can make use of specialized training once they have the English skills to do so. Statistical analyses have shown that immigrants who are English proficient earn between 13 to 24 percent more than immigrants who are not English proficient.
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In a region as culturally and linguistically diverse as Silicon Valley, best practices point to several strategies for adult acquisition of English language skills. First, it is important to test and place adult ESL students in the appropriate level for English instruction. By testing students and placing them with teachers that understand their background, culture and possibly speak their language, adult learners are able to begin their language instruction with positive classroom experiences.
Second, whenever possible, recruit bilingual and bicultural, credentialed ESL teachers. ESL teachers, although teaching in English to groups of adult students from different countries, use varying instructional techniques to help students learn (e.g., using visuals to support teaching techniques and concepts, scaffolding techniques to support tasks, such as asking learners to fill in words in a skeletal dialogue and then create a dialogue of a similar situation, or supplying key vocabulary before asking learners to complete a form).
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Third, adult English language instruction providers should be grounded in the principles of adult learning (adults are self-directed in their learning, are practical, problem-solving-oriented learners and want their learning to be immediately applicable to their lives). In short, all adult learners need adult-appropriate content, materials and activities that speak to their needs and interests and allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities.
The amount of time it takes an adult to learn English varies from person to person and depends on such factors as the individual’s age, educational background, level of literacy in the native language and opportunities to interact with native English speakers. However, it is generally accepted that it takes from five to seven years to go from not knowing any English at all to being able to accomplish most communication tasks including academic tasks.Research done for the Mainstream English Language Training project (1985) indicates that it would take from 500-1,000 hours of instruction (it requires an average of 110 hours of instruction to rise one level of English ability) for an adult who is literate in their native language but has had no prior English instruction to reach a level where they can satisfy basic needs, survive on the job and have limited social interaction in English.