Liberian English vs. American English

[johnvo88]

I work in a private school that has no ESOL or ESL support available. A student has recently come from Liberia and her primary language is Liberian English. She is experiencing a great deal of academic difficulty as well as social and communication difficulty. My question is, would Liberian English be considered a "Foreign" language thereby making her eligible for ESOL or ESL support in a typical public school district? She is currently being referred to the school Speech and Language therapist as a student with a communication deficit. This seems wrong to me but if there is little distinction between Liberian English and American English, then her primary language is English and perhaps her difficulties should be treated as a language impairment. Please help me sort this out.

[SoothingDave]

I guess it depends on the meaning of "Liberian English." If it's a pidgin or creole, then she would need help learning a more standard English.

[Tdol]

There are various forms of Liberian English. If she's experiencing these difficulties, then can't you classify her as a Liberian Kreyol speaker and get her into ESL classes if they would benefit her?