ESL Students: Success Strategies and Preparation
The Six-Step Program for ESL Excellence
The six-step program is designed to prepare English as a Second Language (ESL) students for success in academic environments and standardized testing. The mastery of these collective skills is intended to help students overcome unique challenges experienced in school. The program focuses on:
Developing Reading Strategies: Techniques for comprehension, reinforcement, and the retention of critical information.
Developing Listening Strategies: Active methods to capture and process auditory information during lectures.
Building English Vocabulary: Specifically focusing on terminology commonly used in healthcare settings.
Developing Study Skills: Strategies to increase the understanding of pertinent knowledge and learning efficiency.
Developing Support Systems: Establishing networks that facilitate both individual and group success.
Step One: Advanced Reading Strategies
An effective reading strategy is a multi-phase process that begins before the first page is read and continues after the chapter is finished.
Prereading and Initial Skimming
Skimming: Before reading in depth, skim the chapter or article to understand the general contents and structure.
Visual Analysis: Examine all pictures, diagrams, and illustrations to determine what they reveal about the subject matter.
Scanning: Look specifically for important terms, concepts, and keys to discover the essential vocabulary within the text.
Textual Clues: Pay close attention to titles, subtitles, bold print, and highlighted words. These serve as valuable indicators of the most important information.
Discerning Information Types
Essential vs. Non-essential: Differentiate between information that is "absolutely necessary" to understand and information that is "nice to know" but not critical for academic success.
Active Reading and Vocabulary Building
Word Interruption: If an unfamiliar term is encountered, stop immediately and look the word up in a dictionary.
Contextual Re-reading: After understanding the definition, re-read the sentence to see how the term functions in that specific context.
Note-taking during Reading: Write down key ideas and important terms while reading. Use note cards or index cards for difficult or confusing phrases to aid in retention.
Post-Reading Strategies
Summary Writing: Upon finishing a section, write a summary using the main terms found in the reading. This reinforces the material and ensures the concepts make sense when connected.
Discussion: Share ideas and main concepts with a classmate or study partner to improve understanding and test-making readiness.
Connecting Concepts: Experiential and Cultural Frameworks
Reading for comprehension involves making connections between new information and existing knowledge, which is particularly vital for ESL students.
Experiential Connections
Draw on personal experiences to understand academic material.
Example: Infant Care. If a student has previously cared for an infant, they possess experience in holding, feeding, bathing, and nurturing.
This experience helps the student understand translated assumptions across cultures. If a child is not eating and has a red throat, the student can use their foundational knowledge to solve problems regarding nutrition and positioning.
Cultural Universals in Healthcare
Certain practices are cross-cultural. For instance, it is standard practice to feed a -year-old child in an upright position regardless of location, such as New York City or Mexico City.
Recognizing these universals helps in developing problem-solving skills necessary for a career as a health professional.
Step Two: Effective Listening and Note-Taking Strategies
Listening is an active skill that requires significant preparation and specific tools for ESL success.
Preparation and Participation
Pre-class Reading: Always read the assigned material before the lecture begins.
Question Formulation: Write down questions regarding concepts that are not understood during pre-reading to ask the instructor during class.
The "Look Up List": Maintain an ongoing list of unfamiliar words and phrases encountered during class or reading. Use a dictionary or textbook to define these and add them to flashcards or note cards for review.
Critical Note-Taking
Instructional Cues: If an instructor explicitly states that a point is important, mark it with an asterisk () or highlight it immediately.
Digital Assistance: Many ESL students use audio-taping devices to record lectures.
Requirement: Students must ask the instructor for permission before recording.
Review Process: Recording is only effective if the student actually listens back while following along with their written notes to fill in missing information.
Building Healthcare Vocabulary and Terminology
Proficiency in general English is insufficient; students must master terminology specific to their course of study, particularly medical terminology.
Strategies for Mastery
The Rule of : There is a saying in English: "Use a word times and it becomes your own." Repeating new terms in conversations with instructors and classmates is vital for retention.
Synonyms in Healthcare: Many concepts have multiple acceptable terms (interchangeable words). Familiarity with word choice is essential for test-taking.
Example 1: "Injection" may also be referred to as an "immunization."
Example 2: "Feeling for a pulse" is professionally referred to as "palpating for a pulse."
Example 3: A patient appearing "disheveled" also means they exhibit "poor grooming."
Example 4: Equipment in an isolation room may be called "designated" or "dedicated."
Resources: Always keep a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a bilingual dictionary available.
Test-Taking Preparation and Pacing
Success on exams is as much about strategy as it is about content knowledge.
Practice and Analysis
Practice Tests: Use practice sessions to perfect your pace and identify problematic content areas.
Error Review: It is essential to review questions answered incorrectly to understand the underlying issue.
Memorization Limit: Memorization is only a small portion of testing; active question-and-answer practice is superior.
Understanding Test Formats
Research indicates that the expected format of a test affects scores more than the anticipated difficulty.
Recall Questions: These require the student to provide a definition or fill in a blank statement.
Recognition Questions: These require identifying the correct answer from a list, such as multiple-choice or true/false formats. Recognition questions are often more difficult.
Execution during the Exam
Pacing: Wear a watch and work at a steady pace to avoid rushing at the end.
Time Budgeting: Allocate more time for complex tasks (e.g., math problems) than for simpler tasks (e.g., true/false questions).
Difficult Questions: If stuck, move on and return to the question at the end if time permits. If still unsure, make the best possible selection.
Creating an Optimal Study Environment
The physical location and conditions of study significantly impact productivity.
Environmental Factors
Replication: Study in a place similar to where the learning first occurred. If the class is quiet, study in a quiet setting; if interactive, recreate that environment.
Lighting: Use decent, bright lighting to avoid straining the eyes and to maintain alertness.
Temperature: A cooler room temperature is preferable. Excessively warm rooms can promote sleepiness.
Space: Practice "organized chaos" by spreading materials out so they are all immediately available.
Distractions: Minimize external distractions to maintain focus.
Overcoming Weaknesses
If you consistently fall asleep while reading, change your location—move from a bed or couch to a table with a bright overhead light.
Timing and Productivity Strategies
Identifying personal biological rhythms is key to efficient learning.
Alertness Profiling: Determine if you are a morning, afternoon, or evening person. Schedule study sessions during your peak alert times.
Experimental Timing: If you are unsure of your peak time, try studying at various times of the day to compare productivity.
Schedule Adjustment: If extracurricular activities (jobs, athletics) interfere with peak study times, attempt to rearrange your schedule.
Class Selection: When possible, sign up for classes during your most alert times to improve note-taking and information retention.
Sleep: Always allow for a good night's sleep regardless of your study schedule.
Understanding Diverse Learning Styles
Students should recognize their learning styles to tailor their study plans. Howard Gardner's research posits at least distinct intelligences. Generally, learners fall into one of categories:
Visual Learners
Characteristics: Learn best by seeing; need to observe the teacher's body language and facial expressions. Often think in pictures.
Preferences: Sitting at the front of the class, using diagrams, illustrated textbooks, videos, overhead transparencies, and handouts.
Best Practices: Take detailed notes; read and write down new English words and phrases.
Auditory Learners
Characteristics: Learn best by hearing; respond well to lectures and discussions. They interpret the speaker's tone, pitch, and speed.
Best Practices: Read text aloud; use a recorder in class; repeat new English words and phrases after hearing them.
Kinesthetic (Tactile) Learners
Characteristics: Learn best by touching and doing; actively explore the physical world. May find it difficult to sit still for long periods.
Best Practices: Apply classroom knowledge in clinical settings; engage in active conversation to learn new vocabulary.
Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness in Health Care
Instructors often incorporate cultural sensitivity—awareness that different cultural practices exist—into their teaching.
Eye Contact: In America, eye contact signifies attention; in other cultures, it may be viewed as rude or disrespectful.
Professional Advice: In the U.S., giving a patient advice about their private life is often considered inappropriate, whereas it may be expected in other cultures.
Clinical Application: Pay close attention to practices that differ from your home culture, as these nuances are often tested.
Support Systems and Campus Resources
Success often depends on utilizing external resources and group dynamics.
Support Groups: Establish a weekly study group with classmates to discuss problems and build friendships.
Language-Specific Groups: Forming a group with those who speak your home language can help ensure you thoroughly understand complex material before translating it into academic English.
ESL Centers: Many campuses offer specific classes for language and writing assistance.
Tutoring and Student Support Services: Access these for help with specific subject areas.
Writing Centers: Crucial for improving English writing skills through feedback from tutors and peers. Seek proofreading assistance for all written assignments.