Mr Ali

After interviewing my friend, I gained a deeper understanding of what it was like to grow up as an ESL student. My friend’s experience really opened my eyes to the challenges many students face when the system doesn’t provide the support they need. She mentioned that while she was placed in an ESL program, she didn’t actually recall receiving any real support or interventions during her school years. This resonated with me because it reflects the “sink-or-swim” approach, where students are expected to figure things out on their own without the proper resources, which can be overwhelming. It was also eye-opening to hear how her cultural background—being Guatemalan and having a mother who spoke Mexican Spanish—added another layer to her experience. Not only was she trying to learn English, but she also had to navigate the social and academic worlds in a new language while balancing her home language. She pointed out that she had difficulty understanding slang and implicit meanings, whic...