When a Dictionary is Not Enough

by Mauricio Garza

Download the Calendar to Success here!

“Nombre miss, I do not understand!” That is what an ESL (English as Second Language) student normally says in their classrooms when asked to read. Having been an ESL student at Sharyland High School, I decided to investigate in depth what the major factors were that made it hard for ESL students to read and came up with a reading calendar that will keep students from running away from the problem.

To complete my research on this topic I decided to survey ESL students. This helped me better understand the way they think and how they feel about their reading techniques. The results came to be the same factors that I encountered during high school: VOCABULARY and PRONUNCIATION. These two are responsible for causing a lot of trouble when reading. Students do not know the meaning of the words or how to pronounce them. To make matters worse they do not know how to analyze a text. So what can we do?

Ironically, by answering the first question another question emerged: how can we solve this vocabulary/pronunciation when reading problem? I came up with a simple and organized solution called the Calendar to Success. It is a way in which student develop their reading skills by organizing the information that they need to know.

The Calendar to Success is a booklet that can be used by any ESL student with readings of their own choice. The calendar works by dividing the months into 5 different sections. “Words to learn” is one of the sections designated for students to put down the words that they do not know from the reading. Writing the pronunciation form and the definition increases their vocabulary. “My Thoughts” is for them to write notes, reminders, or important facts about the reading. “Think Outside the Box” is where students are encouraged to do what the section says, think outside the box and see the reading beyond the surface to really understand it. The “Who, When, How, What, Why, Where” section allows students to write a short summary of the reading by answering these questions. Finally there is the “Analysis” section, in which students apply their knowledge from the previous three sections to write a complete analysis of the reading to really understand it and what the author’s purpose is.

If you use the Calendar to Success throughout the year you will really get to see how far you have come since the day you started using it. First off, your vocabulary level will increase with all the words that you have written and you will start to use them daily without noticing. Also, the constant practice of writing about your understanding of the reading will make it easier to analyze and comprehend future reading assignments, leading you to success in class.

Mauricio Garza is a sophomore at the University of Texas Pan-American. He is preparing to transfer to UTSA, where he will study and major in Architecture. He is currently interested in experiencing different cultures and is hoping to study abroad someday.

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