VBlog #2

 Reflection on Interview with an adult who learned English as a second language in the U.S. English Language Learner

Interviewing Mrs. Samuel, my neighbor teacher, who learned English as a second language in the U.S. and is also and English Language Learner teacher now, was super exciting. First, we started off with some personal questions about her English learning process, and she didn’t know any English when she came to the U.S. Ms. Samuel opened up my eyes to understand how much English learner support has changed over time. She said she entered fourth grade with only basic English and depended heavily on her bilingual teacher, who stayed after school and paired with her to help her adjust. This connects to Wright’s point that teachers play a huge role in shaping ELLs’ confidence and academic success through modeling, support, and relationship building (Wright, 2019 p.50-68).

Mrs. Samuel also explained that one strategy that helped her learn English was using Spanish sounds to figure out English spelling. She encourages her students to do this today, reminding them that Spanish sound symbol relationships are more consistent. This aligns with Wright’s idea that students’ home languages should be used as resources to support English learning through positive transfer (Wright, 2019, p.61).

A major part of our conversation was how the school system has changed. When she began teaching 23 years ago, her school had daily ESL blocks that focused on vocabulary, grammar, and writing. She said these blocks worked and helped students transition smoothly to English by fifth grade. However, in the last five years, the school removed ESL blocks completely. Now she sees her bilingual students struggling more with English because they no longer receive dedicated language instruction. This directly reflects Wright’s warning that reducing structured language support can negatively impact ELL development.

Reflecting on her story made me realize that schools used to provide more language support than they do today. I assumed things were improving, but Mrs. Samuel made it clear that removing ESL blocks has made learning harder for bilingual students. I am still unsure why the district removed a program that was clearly effective, maybe because of politics. I also wonder how teachers are expected to support ELLs at the same level without having that dedicated time for language instruction. Teacher could go the extra mile and stay behind like Mrs. Samules teacher did, but we also have to think of teachers and their homelife. 

Based on her experience and what we learned in class by reading the Foundations of English Language Learners, schools should bring back structured ESL or language development blocks. They should also train teachers more on using students’ home languages as assets. As Wright explains throughout his book, ELLs need intentional and consistent support to fully develop academic English. Speaking with Mrs. Samuel helped me clearly connect course concepts to real classroom experiences and understand how policy decisions directly affect English learners today.

Reference

Wright, W.E. (2019). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.