English Language Learners

Maine's population of English Language Learners (ELLs) has grown more than 77 percent in the past decade, from 2,748 during the 1999-2000 academic year to 4,874 in 2010-11. As a result, Maine's school districts have had to expand their capacity to teach English Language Learners.

Some 33 percent of Maine's English Language Learners speak Somali at home, making it the most common language among the state's English learners. Spanish -- spoken by 11 percent of the state's English Language Learners -- is the second most common.

• English Language Learners in Maine Schools. The online home for English Language Learner programs at the Maine Department of Education offers resources and links to training opportunities for ELL teachers and administrators of ELL programs.