ESOL students take drama

For the first time in AHS history, the drama department is offering a chance for students who speak English as a second language to enroll in an ESOL Theatre Arts class.
Members of the ESOL program now have the privilege of taking a theatre elective that is only composed of ESOL students and taught with the same methods and techniques as other regular ESOL classes.
During W6, students of all grade levels who represent different ethnic backgrounds meet in the Black Box for this special elective taught by Vicki Farish with the assistance of Leslie Chekin, the ESOL Department Chair. So far, students have been introduced to the elements of theatre, such as basic vocabulary, stage safety and production aspects.
 “They are eager to learn and they want to get involved. I think the important thing is that these kids are getting exposed to a class that even though it’s ESOL, is helping them to intergrate into the school so that they’re not segregated anymore,” said Farish. The class is made up of students from all ESOL levels and also for those who have recently graduated from the program.
In the previous years, ESOL students had the opportunity of joining the after school Drama Club, organized by Chekin. Now through the class, students are able to learn more about acting and producing plays. The material taught in this elective is the same as regular  Theatre I classes, the only difference being that the techniques used better apply to ESOL students. Some of these strategies include more emphasis on the vocabulary, greater use of examples and demonstrations for clearer understanding. “Instead of watching a video only once, we watch it twice,” said Farish. “It’s just a matter of slowing it a little because of language, not because of knowledge,” said Farish.
Farish has worked with ESOL students before, but this is the first time she has had the chance to teach drama to non-fluent English speakers. She enjoys the new experience and looks forward to a great and successful year. Attempts were made to offer this elective last year, but not enough students expressed interest in the class or were not informed about it. AHS is one of the first high schools in Fairfax County to offer this class to ESOL students.
Senior Betty Granados is  in Farish’s W6 ESOL Drama class. She was born in Honduras, but has been living in the U.S. for six years and speaks Spanish fluently at home. When asked what it was like for her when she first arrived in America, she responded “Really hard. Not only because I was leaving my family and friends, but also because I was moving to a place I didn’t know. It was difficult to come here and not know anything about the country and language.”
Granados was a member of the ESOL Drama club for her sophomore and junior years. Her two years of acting experience not only inspired her to get more involved with theatre, but it also helped her to become more confident with her talent as well as her new language skills.
“The first year was hard because it was my first time acting and going on stage, so I felt nervous. It was difficult because of the language but now I feel more comfortable,” said Granados.
Granados’ favorite part of being in a play is the adrenaline during dress rehearsals. On the other hand, she dislikes when people from the cast arrive late to practice because it slows down their progress, therefore, affecting the production as a whole. Adapting to a different school system, trying to fit in with new people and getting used to  American culture are some of the challenges encountered by ESOL students when they move to America. However, none of these obstacles stopped Betty from doing the activity she enjoys the most – acting! That’s why she decided to take this new elective.
“I chose it because I love acting and because I knew it would help me with my English. Also, I knew it would be easy for me to make friends there,” said Granados.
Granados looks forward to participating in the fall play and spring musical, both directed by Farish, who’s also thrilled to teach such a talented and diverse group of students.