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EL Student Intertextual Analysis

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Learning English as a non-native speaker is no easy task, and getting adjusted to the American public school setting as an English language (EL) student can be even more difficult. ELs face obstacles unlike those of native English speakers while juggling the same stressors that come with being a youth in American schools. But what can be done to get ELs better adjusted in educational environments? During these students’ time of need, it’s important that they can get support, and the best way to offer that support is through content teachers. To better ease ELs into academic settings, it’s important to take an active approach to their struggles. But what are these struggles, and how can teachers address them? Interviews with ELL Coordinator …show more content…

Osborn thought diverse cultural understanding was particularly important in welcoming ELs: “You want to encourage your students to have questions about other cultures. You want to encourage your students to share about their own culture” (Osborn, 2016). Being able to express their own culture gives ELs a sense of belonging. They get to become active members of the class. This can be seen in Mrs. Young’s classroom in Yoon (2007): “Mrs. Young used many intentional approaches to include ELLs in learning activities, to embrace their cultural differences, and to help them sustain their culture...She believed that prompting English-speaking peers’ understanding about other cultures was a way to help ELLs be a part of the community” (p. 222). Sharing in students’ interests and culture not only helped ELs learn, but helped them build peer relationships. It gave them a sense of belonging within the classroom. Exploring school relationships further, Osborn mentioned the importance of building relationships with ESL teachers to ensure ELs’ success. “When you take a team approach instead, you’ve partnered with them and you start going through strategies…You’re more likely to find success a lot quicker than you are if you take an adversarial approach” (Osborn, 2016). ESL teachers are a great resource to ELs. They know things about ELs that classroom teachers may not, and vice versa. Working together allows the ESL and classroom teachers to better provide for ELs. Osborn’s opinion would also be valued on these questions: Is there any particular classroom setup that you find benefits your EL students (decorations, seating arrangements, etc.)? Do you have any strategies for working with an ESL teacher that may not be easy to get along

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