ESL Acronyms and Terms
LEP – Limited English Proficient
ELL – English Language Learner
ESL – English as a Second Language
Bilingual education – students acquiring a second language where the instruction is in their native language and second language.
English language classroom –classes are conducted primarily in the English language, and teachers are fluent English speakers who are trained in ESL approaches.
SEI: Sheltered English Immersion – classes are in English and teaching approaches are specialized to teach children learning English. Teachers may use a minimal amount of the child’s native language when necessary, however, nothing can be taught in any language other than English.
Language domains – the areas of language proficiency – listening, speaking, reading and writing.
WIDA – World Class Instructional Design and Assessment. Massachusetts joined the WIDA Consortium in 2012.
W-APT – The initial intake assessment to determine whether a student qualifies for ESL support services.
ACCESS – WIDA assessment tool given to all ELLs during January of the AY to assess student’s proficiency levels in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
MCAS - Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System is given to ALL students annually to track their academic progress in subject areas.