Three Stages of a Newcomer English Language Learner

We hear so much about immigration these days.  No matter what we feel about our current immigration policies, we all need to remember that there are children caught in the middle.  As a teacher of adolescent English Language Learners, I would like to share my experience in working with middle and high school ESL students.  For the sake of simplicity, I divided the newcomer years into three stages.  Please remember that each child is different and time-frames may vary.  

Honeymoon Stage (1-3 weeks)

The newly arrived student is apprehensive and excited all at the same time.  Imagine how you feel when visiting a new place.  It’s exciting.  There are so many interesting things to see and do.  By weeks two and three, the student is beginning to acclimate a little.  Hopefully, they have been introduced to a buddy.  Maybe they have already made a friend who speaks their language.  They are still excited about this new adventure. 

Middle Stage (4 weeks to 2 years)

Think of these years as the first four stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, and depression.  The student begins to understand that this is their new normal.  They are not going back to their former life.  They are not returning to their old school and seeing their old friends.  They are missing their grandparents and cousins.  They may refuse to have anything to do with learning English.  They may overcompensate by trying to please everyone.  Then crash.  They are TIRED ALL OF THE TIME.    The brain can handle only so much input without shutting down.  Eventually, the student will experience what is hopefully a brief situational depression.  If you are as fortunate as I, your school has a bi-lingual counselor.  Reach out for any help available to the student.

Final Stage (3+ years)

The student has developed some conversational English.  The ability to communicate diminishes the anxiety of the last few years.  The student is realizing that while they will probably never return to their old life, they will be ok in this “new normal.”  Remember that some teachers may think that just because the student can speak conversational English, they can engage at the same level of academics as their native-speaking peers.  You may have to remind folks that academic proficiency takes much longer than communicative English.

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