ABSTRACT
The work of the English-language development (ELD) teacher is to learn about his or her students in a way that does not stereotype them but draws some direct conclusions regarding how teachers should connect the content of school to what students already know. ELD teachers are often the ambassadors for English-language learners (ELLs) in the wider society, and if they cannot be succinct and accurate about who ELLs are, then the rest of the nation has little chance of understanding our immigrant communities. ELD teachers must be able to anticipate trends regarding their student population, and an examination of recent data will help to prepare educators for what is to come. Knowing how to link or use student culture in the classroom cannot be routinized or even predicted, but learning about student culture can make teaching less humiliating for students whose culture does not match that of the teachers.
