What is ELL

English Language Learner — a student who is learning English as an additional language and requires language support services.

ELL, or English Language Learner, is the term used in U.S. education to describe students who are developing proficiency in the English language because their primary language spoken at home is not English. ELL students come from a wide variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds and require specialized language instruction to succeed academically alongside their English-proficient peers.

Identifying ELL Students

The process of identifying ELL students typically involves:

1. Home Language Survey — A questionnaire completed by parents at enrollment asking what languages are spoken at home
2. Proficiency Assessment — Students who indicate a language other than English are assessed using a standardized English proficiency test (such as WIDA Screener or LAS Links)
3. Determination of Services — Based on test scores, students are placed in appropriate language support programs

ELL vs. ESL vs. EFL

• ELL — Refers to the student (English Language Learner)
• ESL (English as a Second Language) — Refers to the type of instruction or program provided
• EFL (English as a Foreign Language) — Used when English is taught in countries where English is not the primary language

Legal Rights of ELL Students

ELL students are protected under federal law. The Supreme Court's 1974 Lau v. Nichols decision held that failing to provide language support to ELL students violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title III of ESSA provides federal funding for ELL programs and requires states to set proficiency goals and measure ELL progress annually.

Academic Challenges for ELL Students

ELL students must simultaneously develop:

• Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) — Conversational language, typically acquired within 1–3 years
• Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) — Academic language needed for classroom success, which can take 5–7 years to fully develop

Exiting ELL Status

Students exit ELL status once they demonstrate English proficiency on standardized assessments such as the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs. After exiting, students are typically monitored for 2–4 years to ensure continued academic success.