ESL in DoDS Schools :: Free Essay Writer

Young Arzu Alp(not her real name), a ten-year-old military brat, is scratch mid-semester at her third conditionhouse in four years. Nervously standing(a) before the American flag, she anticipates trouble understanding the t from each wizer, hopes for just one invigorated friend, and speaks English as a second manner of speaking. Arzu need not fear. Her family has been stationed where the school she will attend instructs over 100 hundred English as a Second Language students by three specialized instructors and a competent faculty. Unlike her first year in the Department of exculpation District School system when she spoke sole(prenominal) Turkish, this semester she will leaven for Level Four and be very close to breaking her language barrier. She has seen others do this and excel in all other areas as well. The bright and gifted course of study at her new school is made up of 50% ESL students. In fact, the principal boasts that ESL students often finish high s chool as valedictorians or salutatorians. (M. Fidler, personal communication, June 9, 2001). Immersion of ESL students in mainstream classes has its advantages and disadvantages. Beginning with readjustment to testing through four levels of English comprehension to graduation, the potential obstacles are unique to ESL students. As we journey through Arzus experiences in the ESL program at her new DoDDS school, we will assess its productivity and describe its methods of success. 1 teacher at her new school feels that having ESL students learn side-by-side American, English-speaking only students creates an environment of pagan diversity. Multiple beliefs, traditions, and allegiances adds spice and enrichment to classroom interactions. (M. Fidler, personal communication, June 9, 2001). This is in particular true at Arzus school where the different backgrounds pepper all(prenominal) classroom and there is no dominant one. Everyone is somewhat culture-bound. Within each c ulture, there is a unique coherence, integrity, and logic (Snowman, Biehler, 2000). These two statements and believing that one culture is not better or worse than the rest is the ideas on which cultural diversity, or pluralism, is based. One English/History/Humanities teacher articulates this attitude by commenting that relationships must be based on permissiveness and mutual respect (M.Fidler, personal communication, June 9, 2001). In response to the question, Do cultural differences cause problems in the classroom? twelve out of twelve teachers and two the principal and vice principal agree that they do not.