ESL Students' Transition into Mainstream Secondary Schools An Ethnographic Case Study

Classrooms are complex settings where it is expected that each student has their individual learning needs met; this is a challenge, especially when the needs of students differ. This book explores the experiences of students who speak English as a second language (ESL) and are attending a mainstream secondary school in Australia. The language barrier is not the only issue to impact ESL students; this book also provides an interesting insight into a number of challenges that affect their overall educational experiences. Specific pedagogical approaches that teachers can implement to assist ESL students in having more positive and successful learning experiences are also explored. Being an ethnographic case study, vignettes have been used to provide an authentic snapshot of the thoughts and experiences of the ESL students and their teachers. The issues and challenges identified in this book are relevant to classrooms worldwide due to the levels of migration that occurs across the globe which impacts the dynamics of student populations within schools. All students deserve an opportunity to succeed in school but it is not always a simple journey.