Convention Center 203
Presenters:
Ellen Lange, UC Davis & College and University Level Chair, CATESOL
John Liang, Biola University & Assistant College and University Level Chair, CATESOL
Scott Forrest, Escondido High School & Assistant Secondary Level Chair, CATESOL
Sarah Nielsen, California State University East Bay
Mary Smith, UC Merced
Elena Vestri Solomon, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, & Assistant Nevada Representative, CATESOL

As ESL instructors in the academic track, we work with a diverse population of pre-college and college students: Generation 1.5, international, and recent immigrants. With students from more and more diverse backgrounds and with varying levels of linguistic preparation, instructors are finding it challenging to meet these students’ needs as they strive to improve their academic language skills to meet college-level writing standards. This panel, composed of instructors from UC, CSU, UNLV, a private university, and a secondary school, will analyze their student populations and discuss various approaches their programs are using to prepare their ESL populations for “mainstreaming.” Emphasis will be placed not only on success but also on obstacles to boosting ESL students’ level of academic English so that they can meet the demands of college work.