SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - An eastern South Dakota city has seen an increase in the number of English language learners in the last few years.
More than 620 English language learners joined the Sioux Falls Schools District last year and a similar number is expected this school year, the Argus Leader reported . The district has more than 2,300 students classified as English language learners this year. About 10 percent of the district’s students aren’t native English speakers.
Superintendent Brian Maher said he was surprised by the numbers.
“As a country, we’ve changed a little bit in how we welcome folks who don’t know the language, and so to grow from last year to this year is a surprise,” Maher said. “I’ll be more anxious to see where we head from this point forward.”
Demi Moon, the district’s director of federal programs and assessment, said she anticipates that the numbers will continue to increase as families impacted by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico move to the U.S.
The district saw a record amount of diversity in the 2017-18 school year, with students speaking more than 90 different languages in the district.
“The cultural diversity that our students who have never lived anywhere other than Sioux Falls have the opportunity to be exposed to is wonderful,” Moon said. “They can learn from those students about different cultures all over the world.”
Sioux Falls schools will likely spend more than $5 million to teach English language learners this year. More schools in the district are hiring full-time specialists to help students learn English.
Moon said that while kids can learn the social component of speaking English quickly, applying English in an academic setting and understanding concepts such as math and science can be more time consuming. It typically takes non-native English speaking children five to seven years to become proficient in the language.
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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com
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