Who are the students learning English? No Child Left Behind (NCLB) uses the acronym Limited English Proficient (LEP) and describes an English language learner (ELL) as someone who "is between the ages of 3 and 21, has enrolled or is preparing to enroll." enroll in a program of study. elementary or secondary school, was not born in the United States or English is not the native language, comes from a background in which the English language has had a considerable impact on English proficiency of an individual, comes from an environment where English is not the individual's primary language and has had previous or previous difficulties speaking, writing, reading or understanding the English language, which has refused the ability of the individual to achieve the state's level of proficiency in the English language” (Wolf, 2008, p. 2). English language learners are not considered a homogeneous group; rather, it is a heterogeneous group. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary (2011), homogeneous is defined as “of the same type or similar in nature” and heterogeneous is defined as “consisting of different parts.” English language learners are considered to be from heterogeneous groups because they come from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds and have different academic backgrounds and language proficiency levels. A language other than English is used as the primary language in their teaching. The acronym ESL refers to students who are taught only in English. Teachers of English language learners use many literacy strategies when teaching their students, including but not limited to: developing vocabulary and background knowledge, using visual aids to support literacy learning,...... middle of paper. ..... Learning nonfiction in an ESL class: The interaction of situated practice and teacher scaffolding in the study of a genre. The Reading Teacher, 62, 580-589. Rothenberg, C. and Fisher, D. (2007). Teaching English language learners: A different approach. New York: Pearson. Silverman, R.D. (2007). Vocabulary development of English language and English-only learners in kindergarten. TheElementary School Journal, 107, 365-383.Teale, W. H. (2009). Students learning English and their literacy instruction in urban schools. The Reading Teacher, 62 699-703. Wolf, MK, Kao, J., Herman, J., Bachman, LF, Bailey, A., Bachman, PL et al. (2008). Issues in assessing English language learners: Measures of English language proficiency and uses of accommodations. National Research Center on Student Assessment, Standards, and Testing, 731, 1-35.