FAQ

Q: How many adults participate in English as a second language (ESL) programs in the U.S?

Nearly one million two hundred thousand (1,172,569) adults were enrolled in state-administered English as a second language (ESL or English Literacy) programs during 2003-2004, according to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Division of Adult Education and Literacy (2005a). This figure represents approximately 44 percent of the population enrolled in adult education programs. ESL waiting lists and class size continue to grow throughout the country, particularly in states with recent or continued growth in their adult immigrant population.

A major source of federal support for adult education is the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), enacted as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. AEFLA funding is distributed to states based on a formula that takes into account Census data on adults age 16 and older who are not enrolled in school and have not received a high school diploma. States are required to match 25 percent of the federal amount, and competitively award grants to local school districts. These state-administered programs are held accountable for collecting data on participant enrollment and program results.

Participation in adult ESL programs is higher in some states: In Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and the state of Washington, ESL classes accounted for more than 50 percent of the total 2003-2004 enrollment in adult education. For that same year, adult ESL enrollment was 74 percent of the total in California and 80 percent in Nevada (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Division of Adult Education & Literacy, 2005b). Although several of these states (California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Texas) have long-established communities of adult English language learners, others (Arizona, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington) have experienced recent and large increases in their immigrant population (Urban Institute, 2003).

Adults who participate in ESL programs are ethnically, linguistically and culturally diverse. Although many are recently arrived immigrants whose home language is Spanish, they may also be U.S. born, refugees or migrants, from multiple countries that include Mexico and Latin American countries, but also the countries of Africa, Asia, and the former Soviet Republic (TESOL, 2000; Urban Institute, 2003). Approximately two thirds (71% during 2003-2004) are Hispanic; approximately 14 percent are Asian (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Division of Adult Education and Literacy, 2005a).

The reasons why adults enroll in ESL programs are equally diverse; they include not only a desire to improve English proficiency, but also to get a better job, complete a high school diploma or higher education degree, support their candidacy for American citizenship, and develop skills that will help their own children succeed academically. Among the challenges that adult ELLs report in continuing their education are lack of money, time, child care, transportation, and knowledge of available adult education programs (National Center for Family Literacy & Center for Applied Linguistics, 2004).