Claire McAllister

ELL Observation

My observation of working with an ELL student is not simply observation; I had the

opportunity to work with an ELL student from China every Sunday of last semester, and multiple

times this semester, in the Writing Center. This student, Jessica, taught me the importance of

ELL theory and application.

I used some ELL techniques before I even knew what they were. For instance, I would

break up paragraphs into small segments so that they were easier for her to understand. I also

explained colloquial language and phrases that are misleading. I tried my best to always explain

larger grammatical and language use concepts instead of simply making corrections. Therefore,

jessica was given the opportunity to actually learn as a writer instead of simply fixing an

assignment.

The most important aspect of my interaction with Jessica was how I treated her. Jessica

had been to the Writing Center many times before her first appointment with me, but she seems

to have been met with little patience and understanding. She often had tutors fixing her paper for

her and handing it back, with very little explanation. During my first appointment with her, I was

definitely met with a challenge. Jessica came in with a poor grade, and she had the opportunity to

revise her paper for a better grade. Her professor had written rude comments on her paper, such

as “Real English please” and lots of question marks. Jessica was lost, and she did not know how

to fix her situation.

Without even knowing about the “buddy system” at the time, I think I became Jessica’s

“buddy” in school. After our first appointment, she thanked me for being the first person to
explain things to her, and to have such patience. Ever since then, Jessica came to me each week

for help on her paper. By the end of the semester, she had much more confidence as a writer, and

was getting high grades on her papers. This semester, she requires the Writing Center less and

less because she does not rely on the “buddy system” as much. Thus, this parallels the strategy

we have learned in class about giving an ELL student a “buddy” until he or she adjusts.

Jessica had a few resources available to her, such as a translator app and ELL

conversation partners, which is a resource for ELL students at the university. This program

allows students to immerse themselves in the language and practice conversational language.

Jessica seemed to benefit from this, for her English improved as I continued to meet with her.

The classroom environment seemed uncomfortable for Jessica, for she felt isolated and

incapable of keeping up. However, the Writing Center was very comfortable for her because it

allowed for individualized attention that she desperately needed. I would place Jessica at a the

speech emergence phase. She can create short, simple sentences and communicate with

conversational language, but she has a hard time with academic language and idioms.