Why English for a Song™?
85% of current jobs and 90% of new jobs require some or more college or post-secondary education....
BUT:
Roughly 32 million Americans age 18 and up lack a high school diploma–and that number grows yearly
On average, 200,000 high-school dropouts who sit for high school equivalency exams each year fail to pass
Black and Latinx students in particular struggle to achieve higher levels of education: data indicates their population size shrinks by 27% at each educational tier
1 in 4 college freshmen pay on average $3000 for no-credit English remedial coursework, costing US families $1.5 billion a year
First-year college students taking remedial courses are 74% more likely to drop out, with negative financial consequences over a lifetime
Millions of young immigrants to the US struggle to master the basics of English BUT funding for ESL/ELL classes has remained flat since 2002
1.6 billion learners worldwide strive to become fluent in English
35 million foreign students have taken the TOEFL test of English proficiency which is required for enrollment in American universities/colleges
Tens of millions of native English speakers can read and write pretty well BUT
• Have difficulty passing high-school equivalency or college admission tests
• May be admitted to community college but require uncredited remedial English classes
• Do not qualify for advanced job training programs due to poor English skills
• Struggle to comprehend high-level texts, such as complex news stories about politics, health, community issues, and other topics
• Have difficulty helping their children with English-based homework
Tens of millions of foreign-born adults in the U.S. may be literate in their own language BUT
• Struggle to comprehend spoken and written English
• Live in neighborhoods where little English is spoken
• May be stuck in low-level jobs because of poor English skills
• May have foreign educational credentials but have trouble obtaining U.S. degrees
• Can’t help their children with English-based homework and/or communicate with teachers
A free, easy to use, accessible, English learning app for American adults and ESL students everywhere that uses music to inspire and teach.
