Module 5: Student Voices

This module focuses on our actual students. We reached out to some students in our ESL program to ask them about the challenges they have faced in Memphis. What follows is what they shared with us.

Their names have been changed and their responses are being read by friends and colleagues.

Nekesa.mp3

Nakesa

51 years old

As you listen, consider Nakesa's experience and the challenges she has overcome. How can we make her Southwest experience easier for her?

I am a US citizen, but I came from another country. I speak languages other than English. Even though I am settled in my life here, my biggest challenge is English, even though I knew how to speak English before I came here.

It has taken a lot of work to get where I am right now. I had to do a GED before I could start college. Here, I took support classes and ESL classes before I could start studying my major.

I am so grateful for taking ESL classes, which have shaped my life in the right direction.

In my classes now, students might have a problem understanding particular professors. The professor is knowledgeable, but they can have trouble explaining class concepts in a way that ESL students can understand. I thank all those teachers/professors who go the extra mile and make sure all their materials are easily broken down for students to understand.

Fatima.mp3

Fatima

20 years old - Jordan

Hi everyone, I am a Palestinian girl. I came to Memphis 3 years ago as a high school junior. The first year was challenging because my English was terrible, and the education system was different from Palestine.

My ESL teacher helped me a lot, but a few teachers didn't treat me as an ESL student and were very tough with me and were not fair. I have experienced a lot of racism, mostly from students.

Now, I'm in my second year at Southwest, I have gotten help from ESL classes and some of my teachers. I think all teachers should help their students and be fair with them, even if they are from another country.

Consider

What is holding Fatima back at Southwest?
How could we make her experience better?

Salem

22 Years Old - Syria

Salem.mp3

My journey started when I arrived in the US without speaking the English language. I didn't have any way to communicate with people other than body language. I paid close attention and started memorizing some words at home. Then, I'd go out and try to practice using those words. I still do this to this day.

I took free community ESL classes and used any app I could find to help me learn English. In high school ESL class, the teacher helped me a lot. I never forget the way that she worked with me.

When I started college, I faced a lot of problems with registering. They sent me to the ESL department, where I got help registering and advising. After I finished the ESL classes, I started looking for teachers who were kind and patient with ESL students. Unfortunately, I have had a few who are not friend with ESL students.

I hope that every teacher at Southwest keeps in mind that ESL students are taking their class in a new language and that being friendly with those students is not hard to do. Please remember that ESL students often have left their families and abandoned their countries to come here to study and succeed. Please help them.

sandra.mp3

Sandra

33 - Venezuela

My biggest issue so far is the timed quizzes: 50 biology questions in 60 minutes.

Might see if the professors would agree to give the ESL students a bit more time. My teacher said I would have to have an accommodation exception. This is something to investigate. My comprehension is getting better and better, but not faster!!

Hong

28 - Vietnam

Hong.mp3

I studied English in my country, but most teachers only taught grammar. So I did not have many chances to practice speaking. When I came here, I lacked the confidence to express my thoughts in English.

The teaching here is different. We were divided into groups to talk. We were asked to share our opinions. It is an effective way for me to develop my speaking and encourage students to cooperate. This was new for me, and it's not how I was taught for most of my life.

Gabriel.mp3

Gabriel

Brazil - 35

My biggest difficulty when I arrived in the USA was speaking English. My thoughts are in Portuguese, but I must speak in English.

I didn't recognize my own voice. English pronunciation is difficult, and I need to hear words repeatedly before I can pronounce them. My reading is good, but I am slow to join conversations because I still lack confidence.

Sara

Jordan - 45

Sara-Jordan.mp3

As an ESL student, the main problem I have faced in college is how to communicate with my professor. I feel shy, tied up, and exhausted.

I feel shy when I ask the doctor to repeat something that he or she just finished saying because I didn't understand everything.

I feel shy when I talk in class with my weird accent. I feel tied up when I want an answer to a question or have a good idea in my mind, and I can't explain it like I want to. I feel exhausted when I need to concentrate 100% on getting every single word the doctor says. I discovered that I sometimes don't understand well because of my language.

We ESL students work hard. The work is double or triple what native speaker experiences doing the same task. In the end, being an ESL student is not as easy as anyone imagines.

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