Introduction & Rationale:
I teach at Independence High School, a comprehensive suburban high school, in East Side San Jose, serving approximately 2,200 students. Of the student population, 21% are classified as English Language Learners (ELL). According to the Enrollment by Ethnicity from the California Department of Education, it shows the following breakdown: Asian 32.9%, Filipino 14.9%, Hispanic or Latino 43.5%, Pacific Islander 1.1%, African American 2.0%, White 2.6%, and Two or More Races 2.8%.[1] Also, it is a Title 1 school, meaning it is a public school that receives supplemental federal funding based on a high number of low-income families in the attendance area.[2]
Specifically, I am part of the English Language Development (ELD) Department, which is separate from the English Department. ELD adheres to the California English Language Development Standards, also referred to as the ELD Standards Framework. Although ELD at Independence High School is one of the largest programs in the district, the number of sections fluctuates each year depending on the actual enrollment. The high cost of living in California, unemployment, and the current political climate adversely impact the student enrollment numbers.
The ELD students come from a variety of places in the Americas and Asia (i.e., Argentina, China, Colombia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Vietnam). The program serves students who have resided in the country for less than three years. Many students I work with at the lower ELD levels enroll well into the school year. In some cases, students are admitted during the last month of school. Depending on their situation, students and their siblings could arrive here by themselves, with one parent, both parents, and/or stay with relatives and extended family. Not only are they new English students, but also in their families, they often take on adult responsibilities to support the household, such as working odd jobs, picking up siblings from school, cooking meals, and doing household chores. They carry the burden of family responsibilities on top of their personal commitment to education.
Looking past the language barriers and other obstacles they may face, the ELD students are typical teenagers. They are passionate about their sports (especially soccer); they love their music and fashion (trendy T-shirts or sports jerseys, baggy jeans, jewelry, and name- brand sneakers); they immerse themselves in social media as it is part of their identity, and it helps them to connect with family and friends all over the world. These teens also find profound comfort or relief when speaking their home language- they can communicate in the way they see fit with no restrictions. Most importantly, the ELD students are courageous in taking academic risks in the classroom by showing up to English class and participating to the best of their abilities. They understand that San Jose, California is now their home (temporarily or long term), and mastering English is a necessary part of their quality of life and survival here.
Depending on their past experiences and exposures to the language, some students come to class with the English basics. The first thing I usually notice is that listening skills can be an initial strength. Students will nod their heads if they understand the information presented, or they will complete the task at hand, showing comprehension. In terms of speaking, they can also easily acquire some of the current English slang (whether appropriate for the classroom or not) from encounters with English speakers around the school site. Since reading and writing pose more challenges, I want to create many of these skill-based opportunities where students can connect these new learnings to their home language and culture, making the new information relatable.
My students are considered the 1.5- generation, a term referring to individuals who were born in one country and then immigrate to another country during childhood or adolescence. They are a transitional “in-between” group, caught culturally and linguistically between the first-generation immigrants, their parents who arrived as adults, and the second-generation immigrants, their siblings born in this new country. This label comes with a unique set of challenges as they navigate their new environment.[3]
My curriculum unit, “Voice of Arrival- Asian American Immigrant Stories in California”, is built around preparing my ELD immigrant students to share an aspect of their arrival story through writing poetry in English and the fluidity of speaking the target language. As immigrants, my students and their families are impacted by the climate around the current immigration system. They could have a multitude of experiences— positive or negative— and the classroom will be a safe space for them to share whatever the experience might be, using their newly acquired English talents. Whether presenting their story or listening to peers from different cultural backgrounds, all student experiences will be acknowledged and validated, cultivating a sense of belonging in the classroom.
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