English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is provided at every school, K – 12. The objective of this program is to develop English language proficiency in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Hillcrest has three types of ESOL classrooms.

One Way Developmental Bilingual Education is an instructional delivery model which uses two languages, one of which is the home (native) language of the student and the other one is always the English language, as mediums of instruction. Vietnamese students from throughout Orange County participate in this type of classroom. Once the students are in the ESOL classroom, they are integrated with native English speaking children for the instruction in English.

Basic Mainstream Instruction with ESOL In this setting, the classroom teacher has a dual role: classroom teacher for LEP and non-LEP students as well as ESOL teacher for LEP students. This is considered a regular Basic ESOL Instruction model taught in the mainstream classroom by the homeroom classroom teacher.

For all Language Enriched Pupils (LEP) at Hillcrest Elementary, instruction must also address their social, academic and cognitive development. Comprehensible instruction must be provided in the grade level or content area classroom through ESOL strategies. These strategies include, but are not limited to, adaptations and modifications of the curriculum benchmarks based on the students’ levels of English language proficiency.

For additional information: Contact Linda Taconis