Mrs. Elissa Jones
Director
D-405
Teacher Website
Welcome!
The department of English for Speakers of Other Languages serves the needs of ELLs at Topeka West High School. We help students develop their English language skills to be successful in school and in life.
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¡Bienvenidos!
El departamento de ESOL sirve para apoyar a los estudiantes que aprenden inglés como segundo idioma en Topeka West High School. Les ayudamos mejorar sus habilidades en inglés para tener éxito en la escuela y en la vida.
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WHAT KIND OF ESOL SERVICES ARE THERE?
ESOL elective: We have courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages. These classes focus on English language development in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, including vocabulary and grammar. They are tailored to the proficiency level of the students enrolled. ESOL is appropriate for learners with significant language development needs beyond the mainstream classroom.
Sheltered classes: In USD-501, a sheltered class is a content area class taught specifically for ELLs by a dually certified teacher (content + ESL). The curriculum and instruction are adapted for the needs of language learners, and students earn content credit while focusing on language development as well. We do not currently offer any sheltered content courses at West, but we may in the future.
Co-taught classes: Currently we have co-taught classes in four core content areas for freshmen. In these sections, an ESOL teacher partners with a content teacher for a class period. This adds a level of support and intentional teaching for language development, while keeping those students in the mainstream classroom with their grade level peers.
Para supported classes: Some students are assisted in their mainstream classrooms by our bilingual paraeducator, who can provide native language clarification and English development support.
ELL seminar: We serve active ELLs grades 10-12 in a common seminar during Charger Time, led by an ESOL teacher. This allows us to monitor their progress, provide language support, communicate with parents and teachers, and facilitate required assessments.