"My Country Looked Like America": Reflections and Experiences of English Language Learners in an Urban Public School

This ethnography takes place in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) pull-out classroom in a public elementary school in urban Maryland. During the 2011-2012 school year, I followed five student informants to learn about their lives and experiences. Interviews, observations and reflections are grounded in the context of national, state and local education policy, allowing for a critique of these systems and their application for English Language Learner students. By presenting portraiture-style glimpses into the lives of these five young people, this study provides an example of the ways in which lived experiences both differ from and reflect the discourse surrounding language use in the United States. Ethnographic research methods govern my methodology, reflection and interpersonal interaction in the school setting. Sociolinguistic theory provides a framework for classroom observations, while intercultural communication theory, language policy and education policy ground this work in its specific context