Conclusions of an ESOL Preference

“As far as possible, without surrender,

Be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,

Even the dull and ignorant, for they, too, have their story.”

– Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann, c. 1920

I have titled this entry “Conclusions of an ESOL Preference”, because the past year’s experiences, both in the 139.230 and 139.339 papers here at university and outside of them in my own daily life, have led me to the conclusion that I would really enjoy tutoring only second-language students. I don’t really know if that is all exclusive of other students, but I thoroughly enjoy tutoring second-language students, because I can understand them and I can help them.

This may sound terribly mushy, but I really just want to take them and sweep them all up and protect them from the ridiculously bigoted, horribly arrogant, snobbishly chauvinistic, narrow-minded, biased and stubbornly individualistic Western world. I want to approach every single one of the second-language students and apologise to them for the self-centred nature of our world. If they haven’t already encountered one, I want to be for them at least one person that will sit down and offer them my time, my skills, and my empathy without demanding anything from them that so many with expectations do.

I want to reassure them that I expect nothing from their silence; where they may be thinking about their answer; formulating how to respond; searching their limited vocabulary first for the translations that will help them understand the problem, and then for the words that will help them communicate their answer… That I will wait patiently and without expectation or judgement, so that they will come to understand that they need not be embarrassed, and that cultural norms are suspended here, because I want them to understand that this space is about learning and sharing knowledge and experiences and ideas, and I am here to do what I can to help them to extend the current knowledge, experiences and ideas that they have – those that they cannot reach without native assistance.

I want to work with second language students learning English and have them understand that I am there for the express purpose of providing them with a mind of native English and cultural knowledge that they might draw on to further extend their education and ability to communicate cross-culturally. I will not judge, I will respect them – not for their culture, but because they are another individual, and all beings deserve to be heard.