ESL in DoDS Schools :: Free Essay Writer

peeledborn Arzu Alp(not her real name), a ten-year-old military brat, is starting mid-semester at her third educate in quaternary years. Nervously standing before the American flag, she anticipates fuss understanding the teacher, hopes for just one new friend, and speaks English as a second language. Arzu need not fear. Her family has been stationed where the school she volition attend instructs oer 100 hundred English as a Second lyric poem students by three specialized teachers and a competent faculty. Unlike her premiere year in the Department of Defense District School placement when she spoke only Turkish, this semester she will test 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 talented and gifted program at her new school is made up of 50% ESL students. In fact, the primary(prenominal) boasts that ESL students often finish high school as valedictorians or salutatorian s. (M. Fidler, private communication, June 9, 2001). Immersion of ESL students in mainstream classes has its advantages and disadvantages. Beginning with enrollment to testing through four levels of English comprehension to graduation, the potential obstacles are curious to ESL students. As we excursion through Arzus experiences in the ESL program at her new DoDDS school, we will assess its productivity and describe its methods of success. matchless teacher at her new school feels that having ESL students learn side-by-side American, English-speaking only students creates an environment of cultural diversity. fourfold beliefs, traditions, and allegiances adds spice and enrichment to classroom interactions. (M. Fidler, own(prenominal) communication, June 9, 2001). This is especially true at Arzus school where the different backgrounds pepper every classroom and there is no dominant one. Everyone is somewhat culture-bound. Within each culture, there is a unique coheren ce, integrity, and logic (Snowman, Biehler, 2000). These two statements and believing that one culture is not erupt 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 moldiness be based on tolerance 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 both the monger and vice principal agree that they do not.