Being English Language Development students: Cases of Korean -speaking students at high school

In order to generate a comprehensive picture of the language learning experiences of adolescent immigrant students, the language learning experiences of newly arrived Korean students were investigated, both in and out of school. How their experiences in the various contexts of their daily lives influenced their language learning and their identities was also examined.;Findings revealed that the focal students' lack of English skills resulted in various disadvantages, hardships, and constraints in their academic and social conditions. An important finding was that it was not merely their limited language skills that deprived them of legitimate learning opportunities at the school. The learning environments in which they were situated functioned in a way that conflicted with their educational good. Conditions such as improper placement of language learners in English Language Development (ELD) classes, inequitable school and district policies on courses available to ELD students, and inadequate teaching approaches and methods for ELD students of underprepared teachers, resulted in less than optimal learning contexts for the students. One critical aspect of being assigned into the ELD 1 class was that the tracking and its resultant academic and social isolation had a detrimental influence on the focal students' perception of themselves. Lack of access to opportunities changed the ways my focal students viewed their educational possibilities and their self-images. They seemed to lose the motivation they needed to develop their language skills and to strive for academic success. It is recommended education policy makers and educators should make every effort to ensure that schools provide ELD students access to a full range of educational opportunities and career possibilities through two way communication with the students and their parents.;Ethnographic methods were employed for case studies of six Korean high school students in a suburban city in California. Over an academic year, I collected and interpreted the data using various ethnographic tools and techniques such as fieldwork, observation and interviews. Data from multiple sources were collected, including field notes of observations and formal/informal conversations, writing samples, reading materials and tests.