Promoting the need for English instruction and making it available to new immigrants is one of the most important steps a locality can take to foster immigrant integration, immigrant success and social cohesion. Each year, 1.8 million immigrants arrive in the US seeking economic and social mobility. English proficiency provides a pathway to these opportunities and maximizes immigrants’ capacities to contribute to US society. For example, a fluent English-speaking immigrant earns nearly double that of a non-English speaking worker.

Increased income allows more immigrants to become homeowners and to invest in our economy. English proficient immigrants can also become active in their local communities, and participate in our national community be becoming citizens and voting.

• Although immigrants also recognize the benefits of such instruction and are eager to become English proficient, many face significant challenges in doing so. These include lack of access to childcare, transportation, and above all, lack of ESL programs.
• In 2001, the New York Immigrant Coalition estimated that only 5% of the need for English classes was being met in New York City.
• ICIRR’s 2006 survey of ten community colleges in Illinois found that 760 people were on a waiting list for ESL classes.
• Massachusetts also has more than 180,000 residents on similar waiting lists with an average wait of six months to two years. This continued lack of access to English instruction will only prevent immigrants from fully integrating.

While the need for adult English language instruction is rapidly increasing, the US has failed to create a comprehensive system that can provide large-scale, high quality instructional services. Despite the lack of such a system on the national level, many states have taken the initiative to address this issue. In 2007, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed Illinois’ We Want to Learn English bill, which allocated funds for a statewide vocational English program. With additional support from the governor’s office and funders, the We Want to Learn English initiative could assist another 127,975 Illinois residents learn English.