Laguna Hills High School - Aerie Yearbook (Laguna Hills, CA)

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ESL - anqwflqa ?il3l'lTilQ7Tl7s flfilifxyktiiy 'T' . fixes' iifvaa 43 X iiirltailammdvama iloesafww tgfezoiww. ,ww q0L J r'iw'T'eG'l v' oilfwf' I M, . X .Gjfj-bU,.,4lulf'l,SCflJ Lit Uliwl itil?-el Geal? we-Hl aol vltluch I am new to this country and I am happy to be learning English. For many newcomers to America fsuch as the Chinese, Thai, Farsi, and Korean writers abovel one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome is the language barrier. Some immigrants have little or no English background and need to acquire basic communication skills. The knowledge of English is especially crucial for the stu- dent. ln order to make this transition as quickly as possible, these students enroll in ESL, English as a Second Language. There are two periods of ESL, taught by Mrs. Van Buskirk and Ms. Bisson who have 14 years of experience teaching these classes. Mrs. Klein, the teacher aide is a great help to the program. Through the use of pictures and workbooks, students are taught basic vocabulary and sentence structure. Many lessons focus on common situations such as a visit to the grocery store or a conversation between friends. The students are encouraged to use English as much as possible to improve com- munication skills. Charts and pantomimes are also used in the classroom. Shabnam Frouzesh, a previousESL student, remembers best the cultural ac- tivities. Each holiday is celebrated and often a special activity, such as pumpkin carving and Easter egg decorating, expose students to American traditions. The average ESL student takes the class for two years. Some students become top achievers in academics Ms. Bisson and Ms Van Buskirk agree that motivation the English language students learn much about America their new home and hard work are keys. to success in the ESL experience. In addition to learning . 128

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