The collection of articles in this special series demonstrates that research on English learners (ELs) is occurring all over the United States, where almost 500 different languages are reportedly spoken in the schools (Kindler, 2002). Although Spanish speakers still total approximately 77% of ELs, Vietnamese, Hmong, Korean, Creole (Haitian), Cantonese, Arabic, Russian, Navajo, Tagalog, Khmer (Cambodian), and unspecified Chinese languages represent another 15% of second-language learners. In various large cities, the remaining 8% of ELs include fairly large groups of students speaking Middle Eastern, Southeast Asian, South Asian, European, and African languages (Kindler, 2002). The diversity of languages spoken in urban schools in the United States has given rise to a focus on improving experiences for ELs (Neufeld & Fitzgerald, 2001).
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