ESL
Education & Academia abbreviation · K-12 Education
| Stands for | English as a second language |
|---|---|
| Categories | Education & Academia |
ESL stands for English as a second language, a K-12 education abbreviation.
Instruction in English for students whose first language is another language, provided through pull-out classes, push-in support, sheltered content classes or dedicated courses. The term also covers adult English classes for immigrants and international students.
Example: He spent a year in ESL classes before moving to regular English 9.
Usage notes
US schools enrolled about 5.3 million English learners in fall 2021, roughly 10 percent of public school students. The Supreme Court's 1974 decision in Lau v. Nichols requires schools to help English learners overcome language barriers. Many districts now prefer terms such as EL, ML or ENL, seeing "second language" as inaccurate for students who speak several languages. EFL (English as a foreign language) refers to learning English in a non-English-speaking country.
Related abbreviations
More K-12 education abbreviations
- ELD – English language development
- ELL – English language learner
- ENL – English as a New Language
- EOC – End-of-course exam
- EOG – End-of-grade test
- ES – Elementary school
- ESOL – English for speakers of other languages
- ESSER – Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
- ESY – Extended school year
- FAPE – Free appropriate public education
- FBA – Functional behavioral assessment
- FBLA – Future Business Leaders of America