West High School - Chieftain Yearbook (Torrance, CA)

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. as 'U V In -'ii . 5,. :stil zaig b :JI ' 11'L1 t 1 . 1 l?.l?.'l'IX.l me ducation, freedom, and opportunity. To many of us, these words sound like something out of the history book. Not so to the E.S.L. students. Today, there are still people coming to 'American in search ofa better life. Foreigners take refuge in the United States to escape wars or financial hardships. E.S.L. CEnglish as a Second Languagel and E.F.L. iEng- lish as a Foreign Languagel are special programs provided to help the foreign students adapt to their new environ- ment. The E.S.L. classes were offered in four levels aimed to teach the basics ofthe English language. Continuing the education, the E.F.L. classes taught the fundamentals of English, World History, U.S. history, and U.S. government. These classes furnished a transition period for the students to slow dovm the process of adjustment and familiarize them with the school. They also built a camaraderie with their classmates and developed a social feeling through various activities. We follow what is called a natural approach and com- prehensive input by the district, explained E.S.L. teacher, Barbara Culter. lt puts an emphasis on listening and speaking of suwival English before any writing and read- ing. She also remarked, The students are really motivat- ed and shows appreciation for the given time. We're a big family. Because students are so at ease in these classes, some feel that they are not making progress due to the family - like environment. Generally, students feel that it is difficult to progress due to the fact that many people form individ- ual groups and speak their ovxm languages. Freshman Junko Nozue remarked, l'We need to be pressured more to learn English. Copy and layout by Masayo Omori Photos by Li Chen Lin and Alfredo Mejia 'ffl' Pointing out the answer, freshman Tom Yang helps fellow student freshman Mindy Lee with completing the assignment. B Cooperating on a worksheet, freshman Edward Choi, sophomore Dae Won Kim, junior Cho Hee Wang, and freshman Francisco Romeriz goes over the issues. 5 Concentrating on indivisual work, the E.S.L. class works diligently. ESE, ,' lg FL 107

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106 EEN. X E FL U' Responding to a question by Freshman Ben Sheen, Rhoda Golightly carefully explains. '7Reviewing her work, sophomore Gladys Perez makes sure there are no mistakes. Staring into space, freshman Ellisa Chen looks for in- spiration for her essay. ,...,. K ,M ll,,,,, 5, l M llll r , o 5 ME f L 4 , 'Y V 41. ., .... Nc 551.191, memi'v.lJvwe, ' Jfvvzvnowt. Q , t 1, 1 if ,444

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T i is 'Q is N si st, r . NQS Ai .L .5i. . . ,:, .5:. K I K if sf S ' IQX 1 .S . T ..... 1 1 .4 . . , ..s. igvwmwimwgm . N um V or if , g g A . T1 as Q E0.UA'l'IlMr 108 -' tmwwdfaauacaba ly to remember what is that equation? Got it! D I RT. T I Time. Speaking of time, l don't have much more of it left. Somebody slow that clock dovim quick! This test is going to take a while. Back to the prob- lem, concentrate brain . don't wander. As the years have gone by, the Math and Science pro- grams have changed and expanded, yet they have always left room for annual projects like labs and constructions of geometrical figures. The basic information in these classes stayed solid, but it was never monotonous for the teachers. The students have changed each year, said Math teach- er Judy Ebey. Teachers always seem to find new and interesting ways to present the material to help us tune in during class, commented junior Monika Anwandter. Homework for these courses was generally steady and giv- en from the text book. Doing homework is really the only way to keep a sane grip on some of the formulas we learn, said sophomore Kent Yamachi. Filled with numbers and more numbers, Math classes concentrated on solving equations from textbooks and worksheets. This year, the department invested in new Trigonometry books and looked into a new mathematics framework that was being implemented in the state. There was a 20 credit ttwo year? requirement to graduate, but many students chose to continue with a third or fourth year. Science and Math classes were linked by the use of for- mulas, but Science covered the biological and anatomical aspects as well. With the use of visual aids like diagrams and filmstrips, students were able to take a closer look at the different processes of life. Physical Science promoted events like model car races, and computer work to help students better understand the information they were taught. ln the words of Math teacher Judy Ebey, Success in Math and Science requires a commitment of time daily, and every student must be consistent to be successful. Copy and Layout by Susan Pearson Photos by Li-Chen Lin, John Auyeung, and Chie Furuya ITNIIT l,l ll: F l CIXIFC Ill I I I ll .lI.l'..l ll.l. NS -Nw fl 5