Awakening ESL (English as a Second Language) Education in U.S.A.

This paper advocates the use of ESL (English as a Second Language) as all instructional technique not only in the area of language arts but also in the area of content subject courses, such as Social Studies (Global Studies), Sciences, Health, Personal Finance, Career Development, etc. for the LEP (Limited English Proficient) students in the public schools. For various reasons, it is not practicable for most of the LEP students to receive real bilingual instruction (i.e. academic instruction through the home language) in the schools. Therefore, ESL instructional technique in content subjects appears to be the only feasible option to provide an equitable educational opportunity to this particular student population. The paper also advocates the early use of such technique for content subjects side by side with the continued learning of language arts (English). This use should start as soon as the students concerned have achieved some rudimentary though still imperfect language skills, because the proposed use of ESL instructional technique for content subject area can cognitively help accelerate the learning of language arts (English). At the same time, if properly coordinated and adopted, the language arts classes can start some pre-content subject courses to prepare the ground for the learning of the full content subjects, both required and elective. This manner of intra-program interaction between the language arts and the content subjects components within ESL program itself can impact greatly the educational future of the client student population.

Charles N.C. Shi, an ethnic Chinese brought up in Burma and with ancestral home in Quemoy Island, Fukien, China. Like many over-sea Chinese, he experienced the unforgettable refugee journey ahead and behind the invading Japanese lines under absolutely non-protection conditions. Later on, he also experienced the back-slash of the Cultural Revolution politics across the border.Anyway, he graduated from the University of Rangoon with 3 academic degrees and served in the government services, including University of Rangoon (Chemistry Dept.) and the Department of Health (Chemical, Food and Drug Lab.) for altogether 28 years. He took an early retirement a job with the Portland Public Schools (ESL Program) where he worked till retirement in 1993. He is very much involved with the local organizations, such as Refugee/Immigrant Consortium of Oregon, Asian Pacific American Senior Coalition, Asian Pacific American Alliance, Oregon Myanmar Christian Church, etc.His hobby is essay writings and song composings. And his main ambition is how to live a fruitful life of good Christian Chun-ze (Gentleman) as prescribed in Confucius' teachings.