A lot of U.S. schools have students from around the world, but how these students learn the language and who helps them are some questions for our school. Because the schools have a lot of students that need to learn the language, the government decided to create the ESOL program. This program helps the new students from around the world to learn the language and help them to integrate their self in the country. If you ask yourself what ESOL stands for, the answer is English as a Second Language. Now, we need to talk about how the teachers that teach in these school program think about the students and their cultures and how they integrate into a new country and society.

To find out their opinion, The Roswell Sting interviewed  two different teachers of the ESOL program from Roswell High School: Cathy Bateh-Flores, ESOL Paraprofessional and Lance Foskey, ESOL Math Teacher. Both of them think the meaning of ESOL describes the majority of the students who are taking classes in this program.

Cathy Bateh-Flores thinks some students from the ESOL program like to learn and some don’t, but she enjoys to teach to the majority of the kids. While Lance Foskey enjoys teaching in this program, he thinks is difficult to teach when students don’t understand because of the language. Both of them think that the ESOL program helps these new students to integrate to the country and to the new society.

They think the ESOL students can have the same academic record as a person who was born in the U.S., but they have to work harder. They think that there is some ways to make them feel welcome. For example, sit with them at lunch, also ask them for their phone, try to talk to them, help them in their classes and more.

Both of them are impressed by the new cultures because they have seen a lot of different food, thoughts, music and other things. A way they make these students feel welcome is by always smiling, speaking to them, laughing with them, asking questions of their culture and country and making them feel comfortable. Also, Lance Foskey tries to speak to them in their home language.

They both learn a lot about the students’ cultures and this makes them feel appreciated their life and education. They also feel good because they find things that they have in common with their students. Finally, they answered the question “What did you think about your ESOL students?” 

“They are different kids to work with and I enjoy working with different people,” says Cathy Bateh-Flores. “I see a lot of students who come to work hard to make money and a better life and also help their family,” says Lance Foskey, “I think in Roswell High School ESOL students make a community to help them and to make them feel comfortable with each other in the school.”