Many have heard something about the ELL program, but not everyone has the slightest idea of what exactly it is. The school’s ELL program helps students whose mother tongue is not English gain the knowledge that they will need throughout their years of education. Through this program, students that come from different countries all around the globe are granted the opportunity to improve their English skills and receive any additional help that they may need. There are currently 17 students and 3 teachers involved in the program.

ELL Students shared their experiences with the program.

Junior Ramez Fakhoury, who came here from Jordan last year, said “I think that the ELL system has helped me a lot. It gave me extra time to do my work and improve my English.” Ramez also shared that his favorite classes are psychology and cultural geography. “It helps you learn a lot about the human body and the cultures in the world, which gives you more knowledge about what’s happening around you.”

Junior Mina Sorial from Egypt said, “The ELL program has helped me improve my pronunciation and my writing and speaking skills drastically.” Mina is a new student who plans to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot after graduation.

Senior Djenis Ugljanin, originally from Macedonia, has been in the school’s ELL program since his Freshman year here at LHS.

He said, “I think that the ELL program has helped me improve my skills that I will need throughout my years of education. I came to the US only knowing how to say ‘Hi, my name is Djenis.’ Therefore, now being able to have conversations in English freely is a remarkable achievement for me.”

ELL teachers also shared their experiences with the ELL program and its students.

English teacher and twelve year ELL teacher Mr. Dron, said, “The coolest thing is that we have students who start in an ELL English class and uptake AP courses. That’s not the only way we measure success, but I think that shows a lot. I think the most difficult part of being an ELL teacher is that you have different proficiency levels, and you want everyone to learn but you have so many different challenges.”

English Teacher Mrs. Armbrecht, who has been an ELL teacher for 5 years, said “I think the greatest satisfaction comes from seeing students grow their acquisition of the English language right in front of me. To see students start their first year in Mr. Dron’s ELL class and move through the system through senior year, even up to AP Literature. Another thing I really enjoy is having the same students for multiple years and really getting to know them not only as students, but as individuals. Seeing students grow one small step at a time with both the language and culture and seeing them celebrate their victories is the most satisfying for any teacher.”

Students in the program come from all over the world, including: Poland, Egypt, Macedonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Mexico and Jordan. ELL classes include U.S. History with Mr. Lynch, Tutorial with Mrs. Armbrecht, and English with Mr. Dron.