ELL students succeed with hard work, determination

Source: Uintah School District

By Omer Turgut '26

Living in the United States is a special experience because it is home to people from many different places. This helps everyone learn about new cultures and make new friends. However, for a student who does not speak English yet, the journey is difficult. Many feel the pressure to talk immediately to survive, even when they do not understand the words around them.

Being an ELL (English Language Learner) is a significant challenge. Students must learn subjects like math and science while also learning a new language. This is where the real hard work happens. Mrs. Sanhueza, a teacher at Wethersfield High School, said, "For things like science or history, homework would take me hours to do". It is exhausting to translate everything in your head all day long.


Because of this struggle, simple tasks take much more time for ELL students. Sanhueza mentioned that for some homework, she could not initially do it because she could not understand it. "It took 20 minutes to do homework for other kids. It took me four hours," Sanhueza said. She explained that she translated with a dictionary because she did not have technology. This shows the effort ELL students put in just to finish their work. In addition to schoolwork, there is also a lot of pressure to succeed for the family. "It’s not an option to give up; it's a dishonor to your family if you fail in school," Sanhueza said.


To help with these challenges, schools have changed over the years. In the past, schools did not always have special classes. But now, as the number of ELL students grows, most schools have programs to help students feel comfortable. Teachers use new tools to help with the transition, but the tools are only part of the story.

The most important part is the student's own effort. Even for students who speak English, subjects can be hard. For an ELL student, it is much harder because they must try to understand the subject and, as Sanhueza said, "communicate and still improve your English at the same time". By practicing every day, these students become successful and share their own traditions with others.


Ultimately, these challenges help a person grow. Sanhueza said the experience gave her "confidence. I wasn’t born here, so I had to learn the language and there were other friends from so many countries and so many cultures that I could learn from". As students learn new skills, they gain more confidence. As Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, said, "To have another language is to possess a second soul".

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