Why Talk about ESL?

We are a group of Master's students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  We are currently in a secondary education methods class and we are learning about the importance of making information and content accessible to all learners in the classroom setting.  Therefore, with a growing diverse population, it is necessary to talk about English Language learners.  In the past, most teachers could rely on the fact that they would most likely not have to teach a student of a different ethnic heritage.  However, it is now almost a sure bet that teachers will have at least one English language learner in their classes, especially in urban areas where the diversity is extensive.  Therefore, we want to be prepared as future educators to meet the needs of all of our students.  
We each have different concentrations.  I (Amber) have a dual concentration in Foreign Language (Spanish) education and ESL education.  Susie also is concentrating in ESL education.  Kenan and Brittany are studying Foreign Language education (French and Spanish, respectively).  Kathleen and Elyse are concentrating in art education.  
We hope that this information will be useful to others as we share what we have learned about making the content classroom comprehensible for language learners.