Students across all focus groups indicated they experienced both positive and negative circumstances with professors in both ESL and college level courses—noting that these
experiences affected them in various ways. Students shared, for example, that they get enthused about things like reading if the professor shares their passion for the subject. This feeling comes across when an ESL student enthusiastically shares that: "the [ESL] professor needs to make the subject fun for students, because not all of us like to read, it is tedious, so you have to share your passion for reading." In the same way, two former ESL students jointly spoke about their
experience with one of their ESL instructors whom they say “inspired them to think and not be so robotic...She asked us to speak and think and share our opinion” it helped them feel more “confident speaking English” even though they thought they had “a horrible accent.”
Importantly, ESL faculty and students both indicted that because ESL students are learning many things for the first time, professors must also be patient. One faculty member noted that students have mentioned to her that “it’s really helped to have a smiling face who is patient with them— especially those who start at the lower level.” Students in both ELIP and traditional ESL particularly like when a faculty member patiently goes over the details, for example by taking their time help them understand the reading and encouraging them to find the “meaning of each word.”
The importance of having instructors who “look” like their students was also considered to be important among ELIP faculty and students. One student spoke about her experience having an ELIP instructor who also shared her cultural background saying “she was so
understandable… there was a connection with her.” A ELIP faculty member complements this by noting that because she comes from a similar background as her students she understands the challenges many of them face—particularly as they navigate college with limited resources. She notes she is from the same neighborhood as some of her students and her parents could not help her navigate college, so she sees why “[students] need someone pointing them in the right
direction.” As was noted in the previous finding, this faculty member also spoke of being there to encourage and support students with the issues they face both in and out of the classroom.
Another example of the type of faculty and student interactions that can positively influence students is provided by a former ELIP student. She enthusiastically spoke of the time when she received a confidence boost when sharing that: “my marketing professor took my paper and told
the class that ‘[unless you] do work like hers you not going to get an A’” – she then added that this “felt good” because it made her feel like she “was at the level of native speakers.” Together these quotes provide insight into how positive experiences and interactions with faculty can serve to encourage and build confidence in students over the short and long term.
Unfortunately, students also spoke of having negative experiences in the classroom. For example, one former ESL students described feelings of discrimination toward ESL students in the college level classroom in the following way: “you raise your hand because you want to talk and then they give you the chance but then they stop you, and move on…I know I have an accent, but I’m smart and I’m here and I want to say what I’m thinking.” Similarly, a former ESL and ELIP student recalls an instance when her English 101 professor said that “if you are not a native speaker, you cannot expect to get an A. You can expect to get a B or a B- or a C or maybe a B+ because you don’t speak English—you’re not a native speaker.” These words sparked shock and disbelief among the group. Especially, when the student shared that she did everything the professor asked for and she got a “B.” As the student describes this experience she laughs, but notes that at the moment this all happened it “was pretty bad.” She laughed at the situation mostly because she also had a contrasting experience with her marketing professor who on the other hand, took her work and used it as an example of what an “A” paper should look like.
In other pre-college classrooms students also faced challenging situations with
professors. In several instances, students noted that they sensed that having a certain degree, for example, influenced the teaching and learning. In regards to her developmental reading class, a current ESL student shared the following with great frustration:
I had a bad experience with [my] reading professor. I don’t blame her, she is great. But some of them don’t know how to teach at all. Even though they have a Ph.D. doesn’t
mean they know how to teach. Because as ESL students we came here because we don’t know, we are here to learn English, you are supposed to help us like you teach a baby how to walk.
In addition to suggesting that students realize that degrees do not equate good teaching—it highlights the importance they place on professors being patient with them because they are there to learn. This student further adds that in some instances, professors may not care too much about their learning because they will get paid regardless of the student’s performance. The student expresses these feelings in the following way: “Some professors don’t care if you fail or pass because they are still getting their paycheck. ‘We are losing our money and our time but we are not getting any knowledge from you, professors, do you understand that.’” In these quotes, the student took the opportunity to openly express her feelings about professors—it was as if she was speaking directly to them. There was a clear sense of frustration in her tone of voice. All throughout this dialogue, other students in the focus groups concurred.
Students’ early experiences with both ELIP and traditional ESL faculty highlight consistent positive interactions that suggest the existence of a positive learning environment in the classroom. However, students also spoke of not so positive experiences with professors in other pre-college and college level courses. In some instances, they felt discriminated; in others they felt the instructor did not really know how to explain things well. These mixed experiences, are important but the current evidence does not provide clear indications as to whether these positive and negative experiences cancel out or if the positive impacts might be stronger in such a way that help support the longer term positive outcomes for ELIP students.
Finding 5: Participants identified personal and background characteristics, such as