English as a Second Language - Bethlehem CSD, Delmar, NY

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Department works with approximately 75 students each year. These students hail from almost 20 different countries, and speak almost fifteen different languages. The home language of these students include Bosnian, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. We encourage our students, parents and ESL teachers use this site as a resource for the development and growth of students' language skills. If you have any questions, please contact Department Supervisor Marisa Bel at the phone number or e-mail address listed here.

News & Announcements

The Fifth Annual ESL Greet and Gather will be October 21, 2010

Each Fall, the ESL Department hosts a Greet and Gather for ESL students, their families, and their classroom teachers! This is a fantastic opportunity for ESL families to meet each other, parents and teachers to meet in an informal setting, and students to practice their social language!

The event features a light dinner, a slide show of students working in ESL classes, and a showcase of student projects. Previous Greet and Gather events have been held at the town’s public library on Delaware Avenue, however we have quickly outgrown the site and will be relocating this year to the cafeteria at Glenmont Elementary School!

ESL Photo Gallery: See some of the shining faces that make up the BCSD ESL program

English as a Second Language Summer Camp

Did you speak your native language all summer? Was it hard to start thinking again in English? Did you forget how to say certain words in English? Come to ESL Summer Camp next summer to make sure that doesn’t happen to you again!

This summer the English as a Second Language department held its first ESL summer program at Slingerlands Elementary School for two weeks at the beginning of August. After a long summer of speaking other languages, the goal of the summer camp was to reintroduce English into the daily language of the students. Academic and social language was increased through studying sequencing in stories, inferences in reading, writing stories, doing experiments, playing games and more! Plan ahead to join us in the summer of 2011.

Summer Camp Photo Gallery - Enjoy some pictures taken this year at ESL Summer Camp!

ESL links and learning Resources

Welcome, ESL Parents- An overview of ESL programs at BC and useful information

Welcome, ESL Students – Links to Games, Dictionaries, Content Area Support and more!

Resources for Teachers of ESL Students - Dozens of websites and tips to help you help your students

Modifying for ESL Students: Tips on adjusting content, instruction and assessments for ESL students