ESOL and the Integration and Academic

Experience of Immigrant Children

Megumi Fukuzawa
G/T Intern/Mentor
May 6th, 2019

Advisor: Ms. Kristin Lilly

Ms. Toni Ireland
 Fukuzawa 1

Abstract

English as a Second Language (ESOL) education has played a vital role in the academic

and social growth of foreign-born children and children of immigrants in the United States. This

educational program focuses on academic concepts such as grammar and core subject areas in

English while helping these students understand and appreciate cultural differences, allowing

them to integrate into their surrounding environment while retaining their native culture and

traditions. This paper offers the benefits of ESOL education to a child’s growth in detail through

qualitative research and a literature review. Specifically, this paper presents the qualitative data

through interviews of various children with immigrant backgrounds in Howard County Public

School System (HCPSS) regarding their experiences with the ESOL program.

Keywords: English as a Second Language (ESOL)

 Fukuzawa 1

Introduction

With one-fifth of the world’s immigrants living in the United States, there is no doubt

that it is the “melting pot” that many refer to as. Recently, immigration has moved to the

forefront of concerns of politicians. As the immigration policy debate intensifies, there has been

an increasing amount of hate towards the foreign-born community driven by fear, hysteria, and

misconceptions. Despite the controversy surrounding immigration in the U.S., it is important to

understand the value of immigrants and their contributions to American society. Empowering

immigrant children in schools through the English as a Second Language (ESOL) program is a

critical step in shaping the next generation to be strong, welcoming, and successful. The ESOL

program serves as a bridge between their native culture and language, and English and American

lifestyle. In a new environment, it is difficult for international students to understand and adapt to

the culture, lifestyle, and language on their own. The majority of their stress will stem from the

social and academic aspects of their lifestyle as they spend the majority of their day at school.

However, free or affordable education resources and additional ESOL resources will help these

children integrate into American society and lead them to success. ESOL education is not only

important to the English learning process to international students but also crucial to their

integration experience. Though the program requires more resources than “mainstream

classroom” teaching, it is understaffed and underbudgeted in many American school districts.

This paper will establish the importance of ESOL education, as well as clarifying the necessity of

additional resources for the ESOL program. Furthermore, this paper will suggest the increase of

funding and staffing for the program. Finally, it will emphasize the importance of empowering

immigrant children through education.

Review of Literature
 Fukuzawa 2

Integrating into a new environment with a different culture and language can be

challenging, but the ESOL program can assist foreign-born students to ease into their new

environment, both at school and in their community. Immigrant children often experience

“culture shocks”, or a feeling of disorientation when they relocate to a different cultural

environment. However, ESOL education can assist these students in overcoming “culture

shocks” by helping them understand cultural differences and teaching them more about the new

lifestyle that surrounds them. Since many foreign-born students encounter these shocks, ESOL

educators help with the acculturation process before even touching upon their English

proficiency (McKeithen-Polish, Suchiraphon). In order to help these students understand the

cultural differences and observations they make in their new cultural environment, ESOL

educators oftentimes connect the lesson to the students’ native cultures (Ferlazzo). This also

helps students retain knowledge about their native culture and language while improving their

English proficiency and understanding of American culture. In the ESOL method of the teacher

going abroad to teach English, students are able to recognize the misconceptions and stereotypes

they may have had of American culture first-hand, allowing them to become more culturally

understanding and aware (Davison). Not only does the program help international students with

academic learning, but it also ensures that they are learning about their new surroundings and

cultural differences.

As briefly mentioned before in the previous paragraph, ESOL education allows

international students to learn English and understand American culture while retaining their

native language and traditions. In areas with large groups of foreign-born individuals who speak

the same language, it is easier for ESOL students to learn because they are able to communicate

with their peers in their native language while learning English (Colorin Colorado). This also
 Fukuzawa 3

allows these students to practice their native language with other peers who are similar in age so

that they do not lose their native linguistic skills. In ESOL education, there are several methods

and models of teaching to accommodate students with different needs. Depending on the

student’s English proficiency level and ESOL curriculum, there are ESOL methods that use their

native language to teach English called the Bilingual Program Models (Colorin Colorado). This

technique prevents the decrease of a student’s native language proficiency and promotes

multilingualism. ESOL education also focuses on incorporating students’ native traditions and

culture into their curriculum so that they are also able to retain their knowledge of their native

cultures. Laura Whittenberger, an ESOL educator, said that many international students can feel

displaced in their environment, and they may miss where they previously lived. Realizing this, it

is beneficial to provide a place where they feel like their background matters, through activities

like talking about holidays, comparing traditions, sharing family recipes, or teaching the class

about a famous landmark (Fukuzawa). This enriches all students in the course and creates an

internationally-aware environment that promotes learning about U.S. culture and language as an

additive part of their lives. In Canada, ESOL programs take instruction time to allow students to

practice their cultural traditions in class. For example, one educator with mainly immigrant

students from the Middle East keeps a tea set in her classroom because tea is a key part of their

culture (PBS). The students are able to invite their parents into the classroom and serve them tea,

allowing families to engage and interact with the student’s curriculum and track their

progression. ESOL education is extremely valuable to an immigrant child’s academic and social

education because it interrelates language and culture.

In Howard County Public School System (HCPSS), there are many foreign-born families

and students. In such a diverse community, ESOL students, as well as American-born students
 Fukuzawa 4

with immigrant parents, have access to the help of an International Achievement Liaison. In

total, there are only 15 schools in HCPSS that have an International Achievement Liaison, and

most are part-time at those schools. At Centennial High School, Ms. Choi, the International

Achievement Liaison, helps students and their families communicate with their teachers

regarding academic progress and concerns they may have (Fukuzawa). She also focuses on the

mental health of foreign-born students and students from immigrant families because she often

sees the plummeting of the mental health of these students due to factors such as missing family,

friends, and feeling different. Ms. Choi also helps with the integration process by helping

students’ families navigate resources that they may need (Fukuzawa). She also hopes that

schools can focus more on making the integration experience less stressful for these students.

Though teaching a “mainstream” class requires various resources and materials, teaching

an ESOL class requires more resources and materials due to the different needs and English

proficiency levels of students. Therefore, additional resources are crucial to ESOL students and

their paths to success. Recently, many school systems have started to implement programs and

workshops that would help schools work toward educational equity. For example, the school

system in Fairfax County, Virginia has a program that helps ESOL students with their math and

English skills over the summer so that they will not forget the skills they worked on over the

school year and be prepared for the next school year (Fairfax Schools). International students

who are starting out in the American school curriculum are more likely to lose those skills, and it

is imperative for them to practice using English over the summer, which is difficult to do at

home because they speak their native language with their families. This also allows them to be

successful in the fall because they feel and are prepared with fundamental math and English

skills. The program is also benefits the students’ growth as because they are able to interact with
 Fukuzawa 5

students who face similar struggles and experiences. Though their direct goal is to help these

students strengthen their character and academic performance in math and English, their ultimate

goal is for this experience to help them graduate on time. In addition to summer programs similar

to the one held in Fairfax County, workshops for teachers and other school staff members are

necessary because they also need extra guidance and training to understand how to best teach an

international student in a “mainstream” classroom and how to make them feel welcomed (Reyes

and Herald). For example, in Monterey County, California, the Office of Education is hosting an

all-day workshop called “Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Students in Monterey County”,

which features different activities and small workshops. One small event is catered towards

educators and staff members which teaches how to address the socio-emotional and educational

needs of students who are concerned about their immigration status. At the event, there are

workshops on how educators can make the school environment less intimidating and more

inclusive to these foreign-born students by creating safe spaces for them and their families. The

school system believes that immigration status should not interfere with the opportunities or right

to an education of a child and that they should not be worried about adult issues at that age. With

a more accepting and welcoming community, these children and families will be able to integrate

into their new environment and society better.

In addition to additional resources outside the classroom, ESOL education requires more

resources to teach their curriculum than a “mainstream” classroom. Since every ESOL student is

different in terms of proficiency level and need, there are many different methods of teaching

and providing ESOL assistance, which requires more resources. There are two general methods

of ESOL education; the “pull in model” and the “pull out model”, both of which require more

resources than teaching a “mainstream” class (Penn State). The “pull in model” or the “inclusion
 Fukuzawa 6

model” is the method where the ESOL specialist goes to the students’ standard classrooms. The

specialist can choose to work with the students by their seats or as a group somewhere else in the

classroom. The ESOL specialist can also choose to modify the lesson or assignment to

accommodate the students’ proficiency level. This method is beneficial in the sense that students

are able to interact with their English-language peers, which allows them to socially integrate

into the classroom environment. It is even beneficial to the teacher and the English-language

students because the ESOL specialist often serves as another teacher. Co-teaching is also a

common practice in this model. The “pull out model” is a method where students are taken out of

their standard class to meet with their ESOL specialist and class. Though this model is slightly

more complicated than others because the students and teacher must arrange the class schedule

differently, this is an effective way to help ESOL students improve upon their English with

students who are at similar English proficiency levels. Another category of teaching models is

Bilingual Program Models, which uses both English and the student’s native language to teach

English. This is most commonly available in schools or districts that have a large group of

international students who speak the same native language. Unlike ESOL teachers, Bilingual

Program Model teachers must be proficient in both English and their students’ home language.

Providing different types of teaching methods can require more resources and staffing.

ESOL students are visual learners, so educators need more resources than a “mainstream”

classroom teacher in order to accommodate their learning needs. Visuals, story maps, and

graphic organizers are some ways teachers can help ESOL students better comprehend and

organize directions and information (Ferlazzo). Visual aids are used less in “mainstream”

classes, whereas they are a crucial part of ESOL education. In an interview with an ESOL

educator conducted by a local television news station, students are seen using flashcards together
 Fukuzawa 7

at group tables, which allows them to learn visually and as a team. The educator also says that

rather than her explaining things all the time, she sets aside time for the students to work together

in English to figure things out with the visuals (Granite Schools).

Some schools in Howard County Public School Systems (HCPSS) have also

implemented programs in their schools that would help all students, including ESOL students.

For example, Hammond High School launched an empowerment program for their students

which resulted in positive academic outcomes. Hammond has made various efforts towards

empowering students who are of minority background or a low-income household through

different methods and systems. With 34 percent of their student population coming from

economically disadvantaged households, their students from low income or minority households

had been following the national trends of low enrollment rates in advanced level classes.

However, after many thought out efforts to increase enrollment in advanced classes of these

demographics, they finally came to the simple solution of encouraging students to take at least

one Honors, G/T, or even AP classes. In addition to this, the school provided helpful resources

for the students to prepare for these upper-level classes. Some resources include a summer Step

It Up Workshop, Alpha Achievers for African American male students, and ESOL Homework

Club. Finally, they eliminated the need for prerequisites in order to take these classes. They made

efforts to focus their attention more on the ESOL students, who are often overlooked. Teachers

certified in teaching ESOL and special needs students now co-teach with the main teacher of the

course (The Washington Post). In addition, all Hammond teachers must participate in cultural

proficiency initiatives in order to identify, deal with, and close opportunity gaps and address

unintentional bias (The Washington Post). Additional resources are not only crucial to ESOL
 Fukuzawa 8

educators and students, but they are also important to “mainstream” class teachers and other

staff.

Many ESOL programs are currently understaffed and underbudgeted, but with more

resources, they would be able to enhance learning and integration experiences for foreign-born

students. If these programs had more financial support and bigger budgets, more foreign-born

students would be able to study English. One example that demonstrates the importance of

affordable ESOL education is Loredo College’s program. Loredo College is offering its

community a weekend ESOL course because they want to help individuals who work during the

weekday improve upon their English skills. Though this Saturday program is not free, Loredo

College stated that they would offer financial assistance (KGNS). However, since there are so

many free ESOL education resources in the community, their tuition is turning foreign-born

individuals away and towards those free resources instead (KGNS). This situation establishes the

importance of making educational resources accessible and affordable for foreign-born

individuals.

Despite HCPSS being an extremely diverse county that focuses on the needs of students,

there are still issues that its ESOL program faces. In HCPSS, high school students who need

ESOL assistance are only able to receive three years of ESOL education. In the future, Ms. Tew,

an ESOL educator at Centennial High school, mentioned that she would like to see English

Language Development IV to be added to the course catalog because students do not have any

resources after ESOL III, even if they qualify for ESOL support (Fukuzawa). Tew also hopes

that the Program for Newcomer Students can be brought back to HCPSS because it was a helpful

resource for students with little English proficiency (Fukuzawa). This is an issue because ESOL
 Fukuzawa 9

students are required to take the same classes as their English-speaking peers and to meet the

same graduation requirements.

Another issue that affects foreign-born students and their families is the understaffing of

International Achievement Liaisons in HCPSS. International Achievement Liaisons work with

students and their families from different countries, even students who are born here. They also

serve as a source of communication between students and their teachers, as well as families. Ms.

Choi, the International Achievement Liaison at Centennial High, believes that though HCPSS

does a great job providing for the international community compared to other school districts, it

is still extremely understaffed (Fukuzawa). In total, there are only 15 schools of the 32 middle

and high schools that have an International Achievement Liaison, and most are part-time at those

schools (Fukuzawa). This can make it difficult for students to receive the support they need, and

it can also make it difficult for the International Achievement Liaisons to assist every student

who may need guidance at their schools.

Other countries with different methods of funding for ESOL education than America’s

are seeing better academic outcomes in international students. Canada has one of the most

successful ESOL programs with a strong funding method. Within three years of attending a

Canadian public school, foreign-born children are able to catch up to their native peers’ English

level (PBS). The quality of education an immigrant student receives varies in the U.S. because

education is funded by local property taxes, but every child in the same providence (e.g. Ontario)

has the same quality of education because Canada collects taxes through the provincial

government (PBS). In the United States, the education that foreign-born students who need

ESOL assistance can vary tremendously between school districts because their funding is based

on local property taxes. Schools in Canada also receive more funding for every English learning
 Fukuzawa 10

student they have, which allows for the funding to directly benefit the ESOL students with extra

learning resources they may need. This difference between the two countries’ ESOL programs

and funding methods emphasize the idea that with more resources, the U.S. would be able to

enhance learning and integration experiences for foreign-born students.

Finally, it is crucial to understand the importance of affordable educational resources and

additional ESOL resources because immigrant children are ultimately the face of America’s

future. They can be just as successful as a native-born student, regardless of their differences in

socio-economic status, family background, or any other personal factors. One success story of an

immigrant child is of Larissa Martinez. Larissa Martinez is an undocumented immigrant who is

also the Yale-bound class valedictorian at her school. At her graduation, she spoke about

growing up with difficult family situations, such as having to take care of her younger sister with

her single mother working all of the time and not having Internet or even a bed, but Martinez

made school her safe haven where she thrived (ABC). Martinez’s success story exemplifies why

it is crucial to provide immigrant children with resources and opportunities to lead them to

success.

With the help of the ESOL program, these students can become better prepared for the

future. A Vietnamese immigrant student in Montgomery County, Maryland, says that the ESOL

program helped him integrate into his new environment by teaching him English and introducing

him to lacrosse. He moved to the U.S. in seventh grade, which was made difficult due to the lack

of his English skills. The language barrier between him and his classmates made finding friends

more difficult, and it also impacted his academic performance because he had to work on both

his standard class homework and ESOL homework. He is now a senior applying to prestigious

schools and will be playing varsity lacrosse in the spring. Out of all of these great
 Fukuzawa 11

accomplishments, he is most proud of his transition out of the ESOL program and into Honors

English (Silver Chips). This particular student’s story displays the impact that ESOL education

has on students both academically and socially.

In a world that relies heavily on technology and innovation, STEM field jobs are crucial

to the United States economically, socially, and politically. A study conducted by Duke

University and Stanford University has proven that immigrant students are more likely to go into

the STEM field than their American-born peers, due to the fact that STEM does not require as

much English skills than non-STEM majors, making them key figures of America’s future. 36%

of students who come to America after age ten pursue majors in STEM while only 20% of

American born students do so. (Jagannathan). This is also due to the fact that learning a new

language is easier when a child is younger than ten years old, according to a study conducted by

MIT researchers last year (Jagannathan). The researchers claim that immigrant children who

come from languages and cultures that are distant from English and American culture are adding

to our society through innovations and science. They also state that this is a crucial thing to

consider when discussing immigration policy and education policy, especially in our world

today. The educational institutions may also look at their ESL budget and recognize the

increasing demand and aptitude that is coming from international students.

However, the strength of immigrant children goes beyond their academic success;

foreign-born students also become socially mature at a younger age compared to children born in

the United States. This is the result of these students having to interact and communicate in both

languages, and they become deeply integrated into both societies. They also become more

culturally aware at a younger age compared to their peers, because they are constantly learning

about American culture and English at school and their native language and culture at home
 Fukuzawa 12

(Abrahamson). An ESOL teacher pointed out that it is crucial to recognize that they have rich

personal, social, cultural, and world experiences and that teachers should incorporate it into

lessons (Ferlazzo). Empowering students to know that their unique background enriches

American culture and that they each have something special to bring to their community and the

world that is all their own is incredibly important.

With this idea of immigrant children being the face of America’s future in mind, it is

important to recognize that free or affordable education resources and additional ESOL resources

are necessary to help them integrate into American society and lead them to success. In Howard

County, one of the most diverse counties, the school system provides ESOL assistance to

students. However, they have also cut down on the program’s budget every year, making it

difficult for students to receive the assistance they need for all four years in high school. After

researching about immigrant students and the ESOL program, I hope to use my knowledge to

advocate the importance of empowering these students through ESOL to the Howard County

Public School System Board of Education.

Research Methods and Data Collection

This research component focuses solely on the experiences of students who currently are or have

been enrolled in the English as a Second Language program. Though research through various

resources such as article and studies is extremely valuable, it cannot provide details about the

ESOL program such as personal experiences. Therefore, qualitative research, specifically,

interviews, was the most appropriate research design to utilize to gain a better understanding of

the integration and academic experiences of children with immigrant backgrounds in the ESOL

program. This research method allows scholars to better understand why ESOL education and

additional free or affordable academic support resources are crucial to the language development
 Fukuzawa 13

and growth as an individual of a foreign-born child through real, personal experiences of those

who were or are enrolled in the program. Several methods of communication were used to

conduct interviews (besides in-person interviews held at the school media center), including the

following: email, phone, and social media platforms such as Instagram. Social media was also

extremely useful for seeking out interviewees from various schools, and this process collected a

total of eleven interviewees. These interviews were held during the months of February and

March of 2019. The group of volunteers consisted of students or former students of the Howard

County Public System (HCPSS) and was very diverse in terms of background, English

proficiency, and other factors. However, the majority of the volunteers were female, which may

possibly impact the results of this research. Each individual who volunteered to interview were

asked the same six questions (Appendix A) regarding their experiences in ESOL along with

feedback on the program. Upon conducting all eleven interviews, the researcher selected five

random interviews and organized the qualitative data in the form of a table (Appendix B) to

determine if there were any similarities amongst the responses. The researcher noticed that most

interviewees were children of immigrants. Almost all of the volunteers also mentioned that their

parents were concerned about their English proficiency and most agreed that the ESOL program

helped them integrate into their new environment, though some mentioned that it almost in a way

hurt their integration process due to the stigma that was attached to ESOL students at their

school. In addition, some stated that the individualized attention they received during their time

in the program was highly beneficial to their learning process. Overall, most agreed that they

would be struggling even today if it weren’t for the program’s assistance during their childhood

years.

Results and Data Analysis

 Fukuzawa 14

The purpose of this research process was to further strengthen the idea that ESOL

education and additional resources for the ESOL program are essential. In addition, it also

supports the idea of increasing funding and staffing for the program as well as the importance of

empowering immigrant children through education socially and academically. Based on the

responses they received from the interviews, the researcher concluded that the ESOL program

positively impacted the students, both academically and socially. Most interviewees mentioned

that their ESOL educators put forth a lot of effort into the integration aspect of their learning in

addition to the learning that occurs in the classroom. Despite several attempts of organizing the

qualitative data from the eleven interviews, it was difficult to sort the responses because they

were based upon personal experiences. In addition, sorting the answers into groups would lead to

the generalization of the group, leaving out unique ideas and inaccurately representing the voices

of the interviewees. As a solution, a compilation of the interviews, inspired by Humans of New

York, was created in the form of a book to present the data to other scholars and the community

accurately. This product allows others to learn about the individual stories of each student who is

or was once a part of the ESOL program that also showcases their success as students and

individuals in society as well as the impact that ESOL has on students with an immigrant

background. By reading about the various experiences and success stories of local students,

readers would also become more understanding of the value of ESOL education and the

necessity of affordable additional support for foreign-born children and children of immigrants.

Discussion and Conclusion

With the numbers of immigrants increasing each year and the immigration debate

intensifying in this nation, it is necessary for the community to become more educated on the

topic of ESOL education and the academic and integration experiences of foreign-born children
 Fukuzawa 15

and immigrants. Upon the analysis of the qualitative data collected from the interviews, the

researcher concluded that ESOL education is beneficial to children with immigrant backgrounds

both academically and socially. Most respondents stated that the program focused on linguistic

concepts such as grammar and speaking as well as social concepts such as cultural differences,

culture “shocks”, and integration in the school environment and community. However, it is

important to note that this research does not reflect the experiences the ESOL program provides

in other school systems across the country and only reflects the experiences of some Howard

County Public School System (HCPSS) students. In many school districts in the U.S., ESOL

programs do not have as big of an impact than school districts such as HCPSS because they are

unable to provide as many resources and assistance to students due to budgeting issues and other

factors. In addition, it important to consider the environment that surrounds the ESOL students.

The students who were interviewed all mentioned that the diversity of HCPSS schools also had a

big impact on their integration experiences. However, this is not the case for all schools and

school systems across the country, potentially making the integration experience different or

more difficult for children with immigrant backgrounds. This research highlights the value of

ESOL education and additional support for children within the immigrant community by

showing the impact the program has had on several students. Currently, in the United States, this

tense and controversial topic of immigration has divided the nation. However, it is imperative

that the people of the United States warmly welcome and support immigrant children and their

families within their communities.

 Fukuzawa 16

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language.html.
 Fukuzawa 17

Ferlazzo, Larry. “Response: 'The Best Place to Start' When Teaching ELLs 'Is by Getting to

Know Your Students'.” Education Week - Rules for Engagement, 12 Dec. 2018,

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_place_to_start_when_teaching_ells_is_by_getting_to_know_your_students.html.

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 Fukuzawa 18

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 Fukuzawa 19

Appendix

Appendix A: Interview Questions

1. Describe your background as an immigrant or a child of immigrants. (Country of origin,

cultural differences, level of English proficiency before ESOL, was English spoken at
home?, etc)
2. What concerns did you and/or your parents have regarding school as an immigrant or
child of immigrants?
3. When were you placed in the ESOL program? Do you mind describing your academic
experience in ESOL? (what activities did you do, what did the ESOL teacher do
differently than a mainstream teacher, were you pulled out of class for ESOL, etc)
4. What were some things you enjoyed about ESOL, and what are some things you think
the program can improve upon based on your experiences?
5. How do you think the program helped you integrate into your school environment?
6. Without ESOL assistance, what do you think your academic and integration experience
in America would have been like? Would it have been more difficult?

Appendix B. Interview Analysis

Data Analysis: Interviews

Interview 1 Interview 2 Interview 3 Interview 4 Interview 5

Question Child of First Generation Immigrant Child of Child of

1 Immigrants American (moved when Immigrants Immigrants
6 yrs old)

Question Parents were Felt scared at Parents Parents worried Tried to

2 concerned first; parents worried about about English assimilate into
about weren’t English and and shy nature culture around
English, concerned about the her, hiding her
couldn’t English but possibility of identity; tried
help her concerned about bullying to make her
either losing Russian parents not
worry

Question 1st grade; Kindergarten ASAP; 1st grade; Kindergarten

3 read books, and 1st grade; enjoyed her teacher read and 1st grade;
didn’t have pulled out from experience, lots of picture used flashcards
a good class, read and lots of visual books and did for vocabulary
experience, took learning, vocab and and
pulled out of assessments, small class, pronunciation pronunciation
class interactive, got and was practice
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lots of pulled out of

individual class
attention

Question Being able Liked the Liked the Liked one-on- Didn’t like her
4 to connect individualized program and one attention, experience in
with peers attention but had no issues nothing to ESOL because
while didn’t like about it, but improve about of the
learning having to make talking to the program educators she
English; up work for peers outside because it encountered;
suggests to being pulled out of program helped her a lot hopes that
not go at too of class helped her educators are
slow of a English more checked better
pace in the future

Question Helped her Helped her ESOL Appreciates the Didn’t help
5 become communicate educators program, at with
confident in with her peers helped her first was integration
public and make acclimate to embarrassed because there
speaking friends, feel new school but her attitude was a stigma
skills more confident and made her changed over attached to
in her classwork feel time. Hopes ESOL and
comfortable ESOL gives creates a social
more divide between
opportunities to students
interact with
others

Question School life Though it Tested out of Thinks that the Her
6 would be wouldn’t have ESOL after 6 ESOL program unnecessary
harder been as bad months and improved her placement in
without since she was so isn’t sure if it communicati- ESOL hindered
ESOL young, she affected her on and her academic
thinks that she integration, comprehensi-on and social
still would have but she’s skills experience at
had a difficult grateful for school
time learning her
English and experience in
American the program
customs on her
own
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