ESL can stand for English as a Second Language, or as some people
like to "shorten" it, English Second Language.
ESL is a class often offered in K-12 institutions as part of a
program to accelerate integration of foreign exchange students and
immigrants into the american school system. And then teach the crap
out of them (in fresh glorious English, of course).
Since E is my SL, I had the privilege
of witnessing this useless system in action in multiple schools. The
teacher usually didn't care about the class (it was always an old lady).
But there are actual attempts to make kids memorise words. The definitions
of the words are displayed to your uneducated foreign soul in picture
form or articulated with hands, (or hand shaped objects if the teacher
happens to have no hands). Maybe there are props and other valid
educational sources such as video tapes or audio tapes presented by the
teacher in class, to spice girls. However, as an ancient
ESL tradition, they are poorly recorded, have no useful content, and are considered
to be the prime cause of suicide among recent immigrants in the age range
of 8 to 14 (don't take me seriously,
immigrants somehow never actually die).
It has been statistically proven that 47.9%
find the class meaningless, and the others are still
shocked by the fact that they are in... land of the free.
You're a grand old flag, You're a high flying flag and
forever in peace may you wave.
The class is bad. There was that cute girl though.
She used to smile at me, and she could only say the simplest of words.
And then i moved away, to another school. She probably knows English now.
I am a true disbeliever in the ESL system, as you might have noticed
by the negativity of this wu, so you're wondering if I have an
educational alternative for you. Obviously if you have
no problem reading this, you already know English, but if you have
friends attending the class and you want to suggest a way out...
Watch TV. Simpsons is where I learned my English.
And here I am, using it.
Sorry if the wu is not focused, I think some things are better
this way :)