What Type of ESL Student are you?

People from all walks of life come into my office asking about English as a Second Language programming.  Most often, people are looking for one of two types of programs.

The first group of people are struggling with spoken English.  They cannot communicate well enough to find employment.   In most cases, they are immersed in their own ethnic community so their exposure to English is limited.  The people at the bank speak their language, the little grocery shop is a ‘mom and pop’ store, and they cater to their community.  Their neighbours all speak their language too, so they’ve never had to learn English.

The second group can understand and speak basic English but struggle with reading and writing.  These learners need to learn to read and write to fill out an application, pass the Canadian Citizenship test, read the newsletters that come home from their children’s school, etc.

English as a Second Language programming addresses the unique needs of each individual student.  Oftentimes the key to success is finding the right type of program for you, not what works for others.

What type of ESL student are you?  What do you struggle with?