ELL News Headlines

“Azul” is a musical that follows the journey of a woman named Bluebird, who leaves her homeland to travel to a new world. There, she gives birth to her daughter named Rita, who becomes a composer. Through her music, Rita tries to reimagine the motherland that she never knew. The musical was inspired by “El Pájaro Azul” (“The Bluebird”), a concept album by Jacinta Clusellas, an Argentinian composer who moved to the United States to study at Berklee School of Music in Boston.

Alt.Latino has a new story in its series, Songs That Move You. Listener Claudia Cruz is reminded about Afro-Caribbean New York City in the 1980s.

Teachers working with young students can explore books that foster kindness and acceptance of differences among people.

Diagnoses of autism have risen sharply in recent years across the U.S. The number of care providers has also grown, as have concerns about oversight. What's not in dispute is a public crisis around autism, acute among children of color, and alarming among Somali Americans in particular. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the U.S.

Puerto Ricans who survived Hurricane Maria seven years ago and are now living in Florida are not only grappling with the aftermath of Milton, but they are also coping with the emotions that come when reminded of one of the deadliest and most devastating tragedies.

Staffing shortages are both a national challenge and a highly localized problem for districts. While teacher vacancies have risen significantly since the pandemic, the exact educators in demand vary considerably by field, and promising recruiting programs in one district may not transfer to another in a different state.

As diversity continues to (slowly) rise in publishing, the horror genre has greatly expanded, bringing readers many new writers with fresh tales to tell. Inclusivity across race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, mental health, physical ability, and more are highlighted in the following 18 titles, reflecting the diverse lives and needs of young adults. Short, vicious stories; long, whimsical novels; and everything in between are represented here and reflect the disparate backgrounds of a group of authors whose works will likely continue to drive the genre’s development for years to come.

Hurricane Milton is expected to unleash its greatest force over hundreds of thousands of immigrants who don’t speak English, most of them Latin Americans harvesting oranges and tomatoes in the fields along Florida’s I-4 corridor, washing dishes in restaurants, cleaning hotel rooms and working construction.

Schools are legally obligated to enroll any immigrant student who is eligible to attend, regardless of legal status. Schools are also obligated to provide English learners with English-language instruction and ensure that they have access to the core academic content other students have. But schools aren’t always meeting those obligations. Researchers have found, for instance, that English learners often aren’t enrolled in the core courses they need to complete high school.

Teachers can use these strategies to help keep students who are still learning English on track with their peers.