Many English learners (ELs) lack adequate time to use and practice English—especially the academic variety needed to master content areas like Math and Science—during school hours. One study reports that ELs may have less than 90 seconds of classroom talk time each day. Yet we know that oral practice is a critical part of learning a second language. As Foundations’ Senior Advisor Claudia Weisburd notes, “Research on language acquisition confirms what all language learners know from experience: practice is key…Oral skills, in turn, underlie literacy.”
Quality afterschool programs can help narrow this gap. Through basic professional development, staff can learn strategies that help ELs expand academic vocabulary, stimulate language production, and boost comprehension. Hands-on activities and projects can motivate ELs to stretch their English skills. Benefits like increased family engagement and supportive relationships with adult role models are also hallmarks of any good afterschool program, and can help struggling English learners to achieve—in school, in the community, and beyond.
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