Workplace Blog

Inside Higher Ed: Call for ‘Fairness and Equity’ to ESL Instructors and Students

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages has issued a statement calling for “fairness and equity” to such programs at times that colleges are cutting budgets and eliminating positions. “During turbulent economic times, educational programs that serve culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse student populations may be at a disadvantage when competing for reduced funding with programs that serve conventional, mainstream student populations,” the statement says. “This disadvantage is particularly acute for English as second language (ESL) programs, which are often mischaracterized as being remedial in nature.” Further, the statement noted that ESL instruction is is frequently provided by adjuncts who lack job protections. “Unfortunately, during difficult economic times, educational programs face the temptation of laying off part-time, adjunct, or contingent faculty educators that the institution is rarely under any legal or collectively bargained obligation to retain. Reductions of this kind only serve to reduce the level of continuity in high-quality instruction to which ESL students have become accustomed. TESOL strongly supports all ESL faculty’s employment rights ─ part-time and full-time — during these harsh economic times.”