ESL Teacher (with Holly Taylor)

Half Hour Intern

Most of us have the luxury of being able to speak our primary language every minute of every day. If we choose to speak in a language other than our native tongue, it’s usually that, a choice. We may learn to say things like “Where is the restroom?” or “Nice to meet you”, but rarely are these phrases necessary. They’re usually learned to make conversations on vacation more easy, not with any real sense of urgency. However, children all over the world are immigrating to countries where they simply do not know the language. For economic or other reasons kids and teens find themselves in a new land, with no ability to speak the language. In these instances they MUST learn the language, and there is a very real sense of urgency. Today’s guest is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Phoenix, AZ. Holly teaches teens that are brand new to America, with no prior experience in speaking English. She’ll tell us about what it is like to try and teach students like this and how the classroom dynamics play out.