English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in secondary schools are designed to help multilingual learners acquire the language skills necessary to succeed academically and socially. However, many of these programs fall short of their goals, leaving students without the necessary language proficiency to thrive. The failure of these programs often stems from structural issues that can—and must—be addressed to create strong, sustainable ESL support. Below, we break down the key reasons why secondary ESL programs fail and, more importantly, how to fix them.
1. No Clear Onboarding Process for Newcomers in English language Programs
Many secondary ESL programs lack a structured onboarding process, leaving students and their families feeling lost. Newcomers often enter schools without clear guidance on what services they qualify for, what their learning path looks like, or how they will be supported. A lack of clarity at the outset can lead to disengagement and frustration.
How to Fix It
Establish a newcomer intake process that includes a language assessment, school tour, peer mentor program, and parent meeting.
Provide multilingual welcome materials that outline school policies, expectations, and available resources.
Assign each newcomer a staff advocate who checks in with them periodically.
Give resource packets to students and parents when they register for school.
2. Lack of Community and Parental Involvement
ESL programs often fail because they operate in isolation, rather than integrating students into the larger school community. Worse, parents—who are crucial to a student’s success—are often left out of the conversation. When families don’t feel involved, they’re less likely to advocate for their children’s education.
How to Fix It
Host family nights that introduce parents to the school system and available resources.
Provide interpretation services and multilingual communication for all school events.
Connect students with extracurricular activities and clubs to help them form relationships outside of ESL.
Make regular phone calls home to see how students and thier parents are doing.
3. Newcomer Classes Focus on Social Comfort and Content Standards Over Language Acquisition
Newcomer programs should accelerate English acquisition, but they often turn into social hubs where students primarily interact in their home languages. While a welcoming environment is critical, programs must ensure linguistic progress.
Also, as many curricula are focused on teaching skills before language acquisition, translating directions and activities becomes normal for many.
How to Fix It
Use structured task-based learning where students engage in meaningful language-rich activities.
Ensure that content and language instruction are balanced.
Regularly assess whether students are advancing in English proficiency or simply socializing.
Design regular activities and routines that ensure language acquisition
📌 Source: Lightbown & Spada (2013) emphasize that input, interaction, and structured practice are key to language acquisition.
4. Grades Are Prioritized Over Language Learning
Too often, secondary ESL programs focus on getting students to pass their content classes rather than ensuring they develop long-term language proficiency. As a result, students may earn passing grades but still struggle with academic English.
How to Fix It
Shift the focus from grades to language progress, tracking growth in proficiency rather than just GPA.
Integrate explicit language objectives into all content-area instruction.
Train teachers on alternative assessment methods that measure both content knowledge and language development.
5. High Teacher Turnover and No Knowledge Retention System
Secondary ESL teachers face high turnover, often due to burnout, lack of institutional support, or unclear career pathways. When a teacher leaves, their knowledge, resources, and relationships with students disappear with them.
How to Fix It
Create a living ESL department handbook that documents strategies, best practices, and curriculum adaptations, and be sure to update regularly after PLCs and department meetings.
Implement peer mentorship programs where experienced ESL teachers support new hires.
Provide ongoing professional development to help teachers feel supported and valued.
6. The Multilingual Department Is an Afterthought in School Improvement Plans
ESL students make up a significant portion of many schools, yet multilingual education is often overlooked in school improvement plans (SIP). Without explicit goals and accountability measures, ESL programs remain underfunded and ineffective.
How to Fix It
Ensure that multilingual learners are a key focus in school-wide academic planning.
Allocate funding and resources specifically for ESL student support.
Regularly analyze language acquisition data to assess program effectiveness.
📌 Source: A 2019 report from the Migration Policy Institute highlights the gap between ESL needs and school-wide policy decisions.
7. Failure to Honor Students’ Cultural Contributions
Many ESL programs treat multilingual students as if they are behind, rather than recognizing the valuable skills and perspectives they bring to the school community.
How to Fix It
Celebrate students’ cultural backgrounds through events, literature, and classroom discussions.
Implement bilingual learning opportunities that allow students to use their home languages as assets.
Encourage peer-to-peer learning, where students can teach each other about their backgrounds.
8. Content Teachers Lack Training in ESL Strategies
Too many ESL students are placed in mainstream classrooms without proper support. Content-area teachers often lack training in explicit vocabulary instruction, scaffolding, and other strategies that benefit all students.
How to Fix It
Provide school-wide PD on ESL best practices.
Implement co-teaching models where ESL specialists work alongside content teachers.
Require content teachers to include language objectives in their lesson plans.
9. One-Level ESL Programs Are Insufficient
Many schools place all ESL students into a single class, regardless of their proficiency level. This one-size-fits-all approach leads to stagnation for advanced learners and frustration for newcomers.
How to Fix It
Offer multiple levels of ESL support (e.g., beginner, intermediate, and advanced).
Allow students more time in ESL before transitioning fully to mainstream courses.
Provide targeted interventions based on individual needs.
10. No Explicit Focus on Building a Reading Habit
Many ESL programs emphasize speaking and listening skills but fail to establish reading as a foundational habit. Reading is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary and fluency, yet it is rarely an explicit goal of secondary ESL programs.
How to Fix It
Make independent reading a daily routine in ESL classes.
Provide high-interest, level-appropriate books (such as decodable texts for older students).
Implement structured reading conferences where teachers discuss students’ progress and set goals.
📌 Source: Krashen (2004) highlights the role of free voluntary reading in second-language acquisition.
As we all know, building a reading habit, among our English learners is an uphill battle. There needs to be an entire cultural shift within the classroom and the greater school, and without administrator support, teachers will often lose the motivation shortly after beginning such an intention.
At AIR Language, we have designed a language reading platform that makes implementing a reading system easy. All you have to do is:
Make an account.
Sign your students up and get them started.
Begin reading conferences using our reading conference portal.
Final Thoughts
Secondary ESL programs don’t have to fail. With structured onboarding, community involvement, explicit literacy goals, professional development, and thoughtful curriculum planning, schools can create sustainable, effective ESL programs that set multilingual learners up for long-term success.
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