Struggles of ESL Students

Abbey DavidsonEnglish 1AJanet Mitchell-Wagner22 March 2014

Issues:• Language barrier• Adaptation process• Social influence• Parental influence• Economical status• Foreign education• Personality of the students• Segregated “Sheltered” classes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v-8HvN5r1o#t=13

ISOLATIONLANGUAGE BARRIER

Full Immersion vs. Dual Linguistic Classes

• Full Immersion courses encourage the student to learn the language and culture by embracing it.

• More urgency• Uses all learning techniques most

efficiently: students hear, see, write and speak the natural sounds of the language every day.

• More diversification for students• Best if you already have some

references• Harder to make friends

• Students can be comfortable learning with others that are in the same situation without pressure.

• Sometimes classes can enable family members to come with students

• Less constant translation• More proper language skills; less slang and

more in-depth meaning• Can both teach American students a foreign

language, and can teach foreign students English

• More personal teachings• Teachers more suited for the students

Frustration

At the end who is affected?

Students

Parents

Percentage of Competency

ESL Students Test Scores Statistics

J. Soller - ESL Teacher• “When I worked at the International

Language Institute, the pay could have been better, but at least they provided affordable healthcare and other incentives.”

• Large schools like Kaplan (teachers formed unions—pictured to the right) are setting the standard in the industry and they need to be confronted, exposed and taken down.

• “My mission is to organize and discuss with other teachers about ways to create positive change in the ESL industry. If I can secure the right to sponsor student visas, my ultimate mission is to one day open an ESL institute in the United States.   While I would like to earn a good income, I also want to create a school where teachers are given fair pay, healthcare and a paid vacation! It  time for people start speaking out against the unfairness in the ESL industry.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzGoDtmTllg

Trang Le – Former ESL Student

• Hard beginning on school• Liked the teachers, but not

the system of education.• Didn’t like the

environment of learning.• English self-learning

because the lack of attention.

• Improved fast, but help was still needed.

• With no idea of the important test/dates of the school (CST, CASEEH, etc).

N. Laud - Teacher

• “When a student doesn’t feel valued, he won’t do much”

• “Every one should be aware of the E.S.L students at school, because every year school receives certain amount of immigrant students”

• Teachers should be aware of the struggles and extra efforts that ESL students make day by day.

Virginia Ramirez Ex-ESL Student

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• Always felt I was going to be left out.

• The main problems I had was adapting to the new country and making friends.

• I was the kind of girl whose goal was to get a college degree

• Never late to class.• The main struggles of the

ESL students : social, economic, and family.

What people say/think about the problem ?

Sonia - Student

• Most ESL students haven't taken any English classes before their coming at this country.

• ESL students test-scores were low because they’re not fluent and prepared to write, speak, and listen the english language.

• Most ESL students were put in ESL Math because they can comprehend the math terms in English

• Everyone should be aware of the ESL students because it is extremely important understand their problem, that should be one of the school’s priorities.

Me• ESL students have the right to have a

voice.• ESL students should take part in clubs

to get information about how the school system works.

• Teachers do their best to improve/find a way to teach/help ESL students.

• Maybe use the buddy system *• Many fail classes because some of

them give up, don’t understand the language, and many of them have problems at home.

• Everybody (teachers, students) be aware of the ESL students because for them it is a challenge start basically a new life.

• There NEEDS to be alternatives to current alternatives.

J. Sollis - ESL Teacher• There is many reason of how/why

students succeed and not succeed learning the language (foreign education, personality of the student, social environment).

• My method to teach is “same materials, but different way of teaching”

• ESL teachers have to get involve with the student’s needs because many would need help at specific topics (grammar, comprehension, talking).

• “Motivation is everything”• Because they got lower scores they

were put in sheltered classes.• We have to encourage the student

to speak the language, but no obligate him/her to do it because is their responsibility and action to do it, they have to try to improve.