A Longitudinal Analysis of Academic English Proficiency Outcomes for Adolescent English Language Learners in the United States

Slama, R. (2012). A Longitudinal Analysis of Academic English Proficiency Outcomes for Adolescent English Language Learners in the United States. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104(2), 265-285.

This study focuses on ELL’s ability to acquire academic English in the adolescent ages.  The study looks closer at generational status of ELL’s, determining if the student in question is a first, second, or third generation immigrant.  Students’ generational status has an effect on language learning, as it shapes the students’ linguistic and school experiences (Goldenberg, Rueda, & August, 2006).  It is estimated that students should be able to acquire conversational English iwthin 3-5 years of arrival, while academic English will take 4-7 years to develop proficiency.  Many students never achieve proficiency in this area, and this is one of the most disturbing facts of this study.  Sadly, U.S. born ELLs will likely have spent 9 years in our school systems without having developed enough academic English to keep up with their grade-level peers. 

An interesting finding was that U.S. born students’ academic English levels started out higher at the beginning of ninth grade, grew, and either plateaued by twelfth grade, or curved back downward.  Foreign-born ELLs’ progress started lower, but grew faster, and didn’t have such a downward spiral toward students’ senior year of high school.  Explanations for foreign-born ELLs perceived faster growth in academic language could include higher motivation, more developed first language skills, or higher educational priority in the family.  This finding supported earlier evidence that at times, U.S. born ELLs may arrive at a feeling of helplessness and inability to achieve, while newer immigrant students may maintain a sense of upward mobility through education in the United States.  Although we have seen faster growth with foreign-born students, their end-of-high school academic English is about even with students born in the U.S.

The overall picture is that the outlook for ELLs, both foreign-born and U.S. born, is bleak.  Students’ inability to acquire academic English can lead to a whole host of problems that lead the student’s life in a downward spiral.  First of all, low levels of academic English is learning prohibitive in the mainstream classroom, and puts much more work on the students’ shoulder.  This can result in students zoning out in class when they are not understanding, giving up on the class, or even dropping out.  Next, continued enrollment in specialized language classes throughout secondary school may eliminate time for post-secondary readiness, or higher level courses necessary to further education after high school. Students participating in mainstream classes, but not understanding the content, receive less meaningful diplomas, as we can’t be sure the content was actually comprehensible.  Lastly, students may not be able to pass exit exams, or perform well on an ACT tests.

Large percentages of U.S. born ELLs enter middle and high school with inadequate levels of academic English skills, and the article suggests that these students could have spent anywhere from 6-12 years in specialized language programs and still haven’t achieved proficiency in the area of academic English.  These are the students who cause the most concern because they are receiving targeted language instruction, but aren’t progressing into the mainstream setting and out of the ELL designation.