Please Note: These definitions are ordered by relation.

English Learners (ELs): students learning a new language; also referred to as LEP (limited English proficient), ESL students (English as a Second Language) and linguistically diverse students; ELs are students that speak a language other than English at home; the country they were born in is not relevant

Newcomers: students brand new to the United States that are non/limited speakers and usually non readers and writers

English Dominant: native English proficient students which includes Bilingual/Bi-literate students and native English speakers

L1: a student’s primary language

L2: a student’s second (third, fourth) language

BICS or Social Language: the language developed through every day, social interactions; developed in 2-4 years without instruction

CALP or Academic Language: the school language used across all content areas generally; also can include content based vocabulary specifically; developed in 5-7 years through formal education with instruction

Content Language: language used specifically in school in one content area (in math, when teaching geometry: parallelogram, polygons, rectangle, etc.)

Language Domains or Skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening

Second Language Acquisition: acquiring or developing a new language in the four language domains

English Language Development: acquiring or developing a new language in the four language domains

Content Area: a specific area of study such as math, social studies, science

Sheltered Instruction: explicitly teaching content knowledge, academic language and academic skills, all at the same priority level, to a class of native English speakers (mainstream) and English Learners (ELs)

The SIOP Model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol): an instructional model for teachers to adjust their practice to allow students full access to the curriculum

Learning Strategies: strategies teachers explicitly teach students for learning that students transfer to independent use