English Language Acquisition:

Summer Language Academy

The Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) Summer Language Academy (SLA) was created three years ago as a part of the Board’s vision and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals to increase language acquisition for English Learners, biliteracy, and college preparedness. The four-week academy is a culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and learning program established to meet the needs of the growing numbers of  newcomers (English Learners who have been in the United States for twelve months or less) to this country speaking different languages. The academy is significant because it helps students (near 500 from 2016-2019) explore who they are and how to become part of their new communities without giving up their identity, culture and language. In its fourth summer, we have four years of data on how this award winning program has positively affected students and led to replication at other districts. Our program meets the needs of our students, families and community, as well as meeting the vision of the Board and goals of our LCAP.  

For students who have recently arrived to the United States, without proficiency in English, it is imperative we facilitate their English language acquisition as quickly as possible. There is even more urgent at the secondary level. The goals and objectives of the Summer Language Academy are to increase English language acquisition while helping students explore who they are and how to become part of their new communities without having to give up their identity, culture and language. Many newcomer English Learner students come to school with great anxiety, the Summer Language Academy gives these students an affirming space where they get enrichment in a low stress environment, while they build relationships and develop their written and speaking skills in English and the language they came with.

The implementation of the Summer Language Academy allows students to acquire English and become better prepared for college, career and life.  Anaheim Union High School District partnered with California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in SLA design, teacher professional learning and research. Key research findings, conducted by C-REAL at CSUF,  revealed the students who participated in the Summer Language Academy program felt more confident, competent and interested in school. SLA teachers noted, in analyzing pre- and post-test data, growth in both written English and in the depth of students’ analysis. During the 2018 program year 65% of the SLA participants demonstrated growth as writers (from pre- and post test analysis); 41% of the students increased by one rubric level and 24% increase by two or more levels. Another outcome was over 80 students enrolled each year with near perfect attendance. A specific example of how the program affected a student’s life is a story was shared by a Vietnamese teen. She stated, “Before the Summer Language Academy I was afraid to speak English and try to make friends. Now I feel more confident and have friends.” Another student asserted that after SLA, “I got brave right now… I think I am happy every day.”

The innovative and exemplary Summer Language Academy is the first in California. The AUHSD SLA was honored with the 2018 Orange County Department of Education “Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness” Award. SLA hosts a yearly open house and tour. Districts all over California visit the program. As a result, Newport Mesa USD adopted the program and is in their second year of implementation. Escondido UHSD recently adopted SLA as well. AUHSD and CSUF presented on SLA as a part of the Californians Together conference on meeting the needs of secondary newcomers. AUHSD and CSUF has also presented on SLA at numerous local, state and national conferences, such as the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) and American Educational Research Association (AERA). By design the program is innovative and entails students reading books that mirror the newcomer experience from multiple cultural perspectives and encourages the use of English but also their first language as a way to encourage biliteracy. Since AUHSD had 1,173 students earn the Seal of Biliteracy in eleven different languages, this approach is successful.