ESL 3

Taught by: Brenda Robinette

ESL 3 is a course designed to continue English language development as well as to introduce students to mainstream literature. The course focuses on vocabulary expansion, paragraph structure, essay formatting, reading comprehension, and literature analysis. High Point level C, designed for English language learners at the intermediate level, is the textbook used for ESL 3. In addition, the following novels are read throughout the year: Seedfolks by Paul Fleishman, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Poetry and short stories connected to themes in High Point are also used.

Examples of Student Work:

Leonel Espinoza
" One time in my life...an autobiographical incident essay"

This is something that want to tell, something that come from inside of my heart and hurts when I remember. This is about who I used to be, and someone comes with this story, someone happily, carefully that I lost when he was thirteen and I was fifteen years old someone that will be forever in my heart.

When I was fourteen, I was friendly, sometimes mysterious, but I stared using drugs and alcohol and also try to be someone that I new I couldn't be. I lived in the streets and I meet a lot of good people and bad people, but I also met the pain, the suffereing and the loneliness, I thought that I could resolve some of the problems that I had. I remember how I looked, really bad and no healthy, and what i always said was "I don't care about anything or anyone else." When I was using drugs, sometimes I couldn't breathe, couldn't talk, and couldn't walk. I saw a lot of people more young than me and some adults, and some of them like me try to forget their problems.

One day my friend and I we went to a party. Every body was smoking marijuana and cocaine, but ny friend got something else he couldn't resist he got overdosed. He died that night, when we went to slepp, I remember before he died he gave me a hug and he said, "god night carnal" he never woke up again. Those terrible things make me take one big decision I decide to change my forever. Let me be clear that was really heard, but I stared a new life.

Not too much later for the smae reasons that my friend died I decide to come to the u.s.a. I stared working in a restaurant as a dishwasher. One person who suppose to help me get a better job always make me feel stupid jus because I didn't know English. That made me make the decision to start learning English. I stared studying at Torrey Pines High School, and now I have a new job as a cook at a differnt restaurant, I stared feel better and I could never imagine that I would have those skills, to be a good cook and learn English so fast, in just one year my life changed completely but that is not all, now every body, friendly and mysterious people respect me.

Since I have come here I am learning more English, I have a better job as a buss boy does, and I am going to graduate this year. After I graduate I think I'm going to Chicago with my family, and in the future I tink I'm going to be a soldier. I'm always going to say thanks to God for all that things that I have in this part of my life, for the good things and bad things, for the pass and the furture, thanks GOD.

Now when I look back and I remember all the things that I did and all mistakes I made. I couldn't even think that the person was me, that I almost destroy my own self, all those things make me tink that people who use drugs and desotry their lives lose opportunity in their lives. I know my life was a boom but I had to go on, I remember one day my mom told me "is all about the troubles, is all about the pain I cried and I cried into the dark room there was mysterious, despressing and strange people to me. Now how I whish that he never died, I wish that you were here, I wish that you could see the man that I have become wherever you may be I know god blesses you.

Class Pictures Now this is my council to all people who try to forget or resolve their problem by using drugs, please don't do that! After my experience I can tell you that is no the best way to resolve the problems , if you try to resolve the problems with out drugs you can do and resolve any problem or any thing we want. Living with out drugs is the best way and things that the people can do in their lives. "

Copyright © 2004 Stephen Lortscher and Jan Thompson. Layout images provided by photos.com