MODULE 11
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW YORK STATE
ENGLISH AS A SEC0ND LANGUAGE (ESL) LEARNING STANDARDS
Introduction:
The New York State Education Department Office of Bilingual Education recently
published The Teaching of Language Arts to Limited English Proficient/English
Language Learners: Learning Standards for English as a Second Language. * This
publication presents the five learning standards for ESL programs, performance
indicators, and sample classroom tasks. Although the ESL standards closely parallel the
State’s four English Language Arts (ELA) Standards, the five ESL standards are
specifically geared to limited English proficient (ESL) students and serve as the basis for
the new New York State ESL Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) which is now
administered, annually, to every ESL student in the State.
Q. Why is it important for classroom and content area teachers to be aware of the New
York State ESL Standards, and how are these standards different from the English
Language Arts standards for all students?
A. The five learning standards for ESL differ from the New York State English Language
arts (ELA) (and content area) standards in several ways:
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They serve as a springboard to content area standards (e.g., math, science,
social studies..), for ESL students;
They provide the language knowledge and skills development necessary for high
achievement of ESL students in their content classrooms where this is no
support from an ESL teacher;
They include learning and self-monitoring strategies as performance indicators
for ESL students;
They are arranged in five goals areas, and draw upon the rich cultural and
linguistic backgrounds of the ESL students;
They encourage the use of the student’s native language as a means to support
growth in English and attainment of all of the content area standards; and,
They represent an alignment between the New York State English Language
Arts Standards and the ESL standards developed by the national association of
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
*For information on obtaining a copy, contact the New York State Education Department
Office of Bilingual Education, at (518)474-8775.
OH 11.1
New York State Learning Standards for
English as a Second Language
ESL Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read and write in
English for information and understanding.
ESL Standard 2: Students will listen, speak, read and write in
English for literary response, enjoyment and expression,
ESL Standard 3: Students will listen, speak, read and write in
English for critical analysis and evaluation
ESL Standard 4: Students will listen, speak, read and write in
English for classroom and social interaction.
ESL Standard 5: Students will demonstrate cross-cultural
knowledge and understanding.
Notes:
The ESL standards were designed primarily to assist ESL and bilingual teachers,and
curriculum developers, in providing rigorous and challenging instruction, including
content-based ESL instruction, for ESL students. The ESL standards document
provides these, and all educators, with key ideas, performance indicators, sample
classroom tasks and suggested assessment strategies.
Q. How can classroom (and content area) teachers best use the ESL Standards
document? (Display OH 11.2: All teachers can use…)
A. All teachers can use the ESL standards document in the following ways:
 Design authentic learning experiences for ESL students in all
subject
areas
 Link the ESL student’s developing English language skills to
content
areas
 Assess ESL student performance in the content areas using a
wide variety of techniques (see TAT Pack module on testing
and assessment
 Design performance tasks that interweave all four language
skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing
 Design tasks at all levels of English language proficiency, from
beginning to advance
 Provide purposes for language use
 Design staff development
 Prepare ESL students for New York State assessments in the
content areas
OH
11.2
All teachers can use the ESL standards document in the following ways:
 Design authentic learning experiences
 Link language to content areas
 Assess ESL student performance using a wide variety of
techniques
 Design performance tasks that interweave all four language
skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)
 Design tasks at all levels of language proficiency, from
beginning to advanced
 Provide purposes for language use
 Design staff development
 Prepare ESL students for New York State assessments in
the content areas