WBUR Newsroom Election 2008 CommonHealth Blog Radio Boston Blog Boston Weather Climate Connections BBC World News NPR Top Stories NPR's Morning Edition NPR Topics: Books NPR Topics: Movies Fresh Air All Things Considered Marketplace Submit a News Tip RSS Feeds Podcasts Long Waitlists for ESL Classes By Bianca Vazquez Toness Listen to story (Real Audio) Students interview each other in a beginners' English class run by the Jamaica Plain Community Center's Adult Learning Program. (Photo: Bianca Vazquez Toness) BOSTON, Mass. - August 02, 2007 - Teaching English to immigrants is one the most neglected public policy issues in the country, according to a study released this week by a Washington think tank. Meanwhile, new poll says 62 percent of Americans think immigrants don't even try to learn English within a reasonable amount of time. But the demand for English language classes in Massachusetts is so great that there's a three-year waiting list, and state spending to teach English to adults hasn't increased since 2000. More than 200,000 new immigrants have arrived here since then. WBUR's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports. RELATED LINKS ESL and other programs at the Jamaica Plain Communitty Center English Language Schools in Massachusetts MA Schools & ESL Programs Voice in Urban Education Demographic Change and Language    From The WBUR Newsroom State Street May Pay for Risky Investments BOSTON, Mass. (May 09, 2008) Boston-based State Street Corporation may end up paying far more than it's prepared for over its involvement in the sub-prime mortgage crash. State Rejects Home Insurance Hike BOSTON (May 09, 2008) State officials have rejected a plan by the state's home insurer of last resort to hike premiums by about 13 percent. Speculation Over Speaker DiMasi BOSTON, Mass. (May 09, 2008) Amid ethics questions and as some lawmakers jockey for his job, House Speaker Sal DiMasi is keeping a low profile at the State House. We'll report on the speculation over his leadership. Lacrosse v Baseball BOSTON, Mass. (May 08, 2008) In the heart of Red Sox Nation, many high school baseball players are switching to another sport instead. We report on the explosive growth of lacrosse, by almost 60 percent in the last six years.