English Language Development Structured English Immersion

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Oct 31, 2025, 9:38 PM

english language development structured english immersion

Structured English Immersion (SEI) is an educational approach designed to teach English as a second language to Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, ensuring they gain proficiency in English while also learning academic content. This method has been mandated in various states, requiring LEP students to receive instruction primarily in English unless they qualify for an exemption. SEI originated from concepts of bilingual immersion programs, with the aim of rapidly transitioning students into mainstream classes. There are diverse implementations of SEI across states like California, Arizona, and Massachusetts, each with its own goals and instructional strategies. The SEI model emphasizes English-only instruction but may incorporate some native language support to enhance comprehension and emotional comfort for students. Federal laws protect the educational rights of LEP students, ensuring that they receive appropriate resources and instruction tailored to their language proficiency levels.

However, challenges remain, including disparities in academic achievement between LEP and English-proficient students, highlighting ongoing debates around the effectiveness of SEI and its variations. Ultimately, SEI aims to create an inclusive learning environment that respects cultural diversity while addressing the unique needs of English language learners. Structured English Immersion (SEI) is a method of teaching English as a second language. Several states have passed legislation mandating the use of Structured English immersion in service of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students unless otherwise exempted by waivers. This paper briefly introduces the concept of LEP and Federal LEP program expectations and educational access rights as they apply to SEI and all LEP programs. The bilingual Canadian concept of language immersion, upon which the original concept of structured English immersion was based, is introduced with the varying definitions of what SEI is or is not.

Diverse applications of SEI in the states of California, Massachusetts, and Arizona are presented. Keywords Bilingual Education; English Immersion; English Language Development (ELD); English Language Learners (ELL); English as a Second Language (ESL); Immersion Education; Primary Language (L1); Second Language (L2); Limited English Proficient (LEP); No Child Left... According to the US Department of Education (2004), there are 5.5 million limited English proficient (LEP) students whose first language is other than English. While, eighty percent of LEP children have the ability to speak Spanish, over four hundred first languages exist for the US LEP population as a whole. All of these children face the challenge of learning academic skills and content, and most often not in their first language (Collier & Thomas, 2007) in addition to developing proficiency in the English language. Structured English Immersion (SEI) is a total immersion bilingual education technique for rapidly teaching English to English language learners.

The term was coined by Keith Baker and Adriana de Kanter in a 1983 recommendation to schools to make use of Canada's successful French immersion programs.[1] The Canadian model was developed to encourage bilingualism... More recently, SEI has been defined as a methodology in which English language learners (ELLs) learn English through structured and sequential lessons. Specially developed for ELLs, these lessons are based, to a large degree, on the mainstream curricula.[2] In a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Horne v. Flores, the majority opinion stated, "Research on ELL instruction indicates there is documented, academic support for the view that SEI is significantly more effective than [transitional] bilingual education.[3] Findings of the Arizona State Department...

Only Arizona mandates that its public schools implement SEI models as follows: In Arizona, where SEI is required of all schools in the state,[6] all textbooks, materials, and assessments used in an SEI classroom must be aligned to the Arizona K-12 English Language Learner Proficiency Standards[7][8][9][10][11]... The Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) is used to measure English proficiency of SEI students in Arizona.[12] Structured English Immersion (SEI) is a total immersion bilingual education technique for rapidly teaching English to English language learners. The term was coined by Keith Baker and Adriana de Kanter in a 1983 recommendation to schools to make use of Canada's successful French immersion programs.[1] The Canadian model was developed to encourage bilingualism... More recently, SEI has been defined as a methodology in which English language learners (ELLs) learn English through structured and sequential lessons.

Specially developed for ELLs, these lessons are based, to a large degree, on the mainstream curricula.[2] In a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Horne v. Flores, the majority opinion stated, "Research on ELL instruction indicates there is documented, academic support for the view that SEI is significantly more effective than [transitional] bilingual education.[3] Findings of the Arizona State Department... Only Arizona mandates that its public schools implement SEI models as follows: In Arizona, where SEI is required of all schools in the state,[6] all textbooks, materials, and assessments used in an SEI classroom must be aligned to the Arizona K-12 English Language Learner Proficiency Standards[7]...

The Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA) is used to measure English proficiency of SEI students in Arizona.[12] In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

English Language Development Structured English Immersion

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