It was the first day of class. Two of her new ESL classmates wanted to know where Tara was from.
They were both from Iraq. Because Tara looked Iraqi, one of the women asked Tara, in English, if she was from Iraq. Tara replied, "No, I'm not." Then the women took turns asking Tara if she was from Iran, or Syria, or Jordan.
To each question, Tara responded with a simple no. Laughing, one woman said to the other, "She's not from anywhere!" The two went to their desks, talking to each other in Arabic. The next day, the teacher divided the students into groups of four.
The students in each group asked introductory questions of each other. A student in Tara's group asked her, "Where are you from?" Tara answered that she was from Iraq.
The two women who had questioned Tara the day before were sitting only a few feet away. Both of them heard Tara's response. "Aha!" they both exclaimed. "You ARE from Iraq!" Tara smiled and said yes.
Then she apologized to both of them for lying the day before. She explained that she had not wanted to get into an Arabic conversation with them. It had been her experience that many ESL students continued to speak their native language in ESL class, and Tara had not come to ESL class to practice her Arabic.
In her opinion, ESL students should try to speak English only. "I agree," said Rose. "You're 100 percent right," agreed Jennifer. "Rose and I must stop speaking Arabic to each other. Right, Rose?" Rose nodded, and then said something in Arabic. All three women laughed.
Over the next four months, Tara became friendly with both women, although she never spoke a word of Arabic to them during class or break.
Vocabulary Words: The ESL Class Dilemma (Expanded)
| No. | Word | Definition | Example Sentence (from text) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | ESL | English as a Second Language (The study of English by non-native speakers). | Two of her new ESL classmates wanted to know where Tara was from. |
| 02 | classmates | Students in the same class. | Two of her new ESL classmates wanted to know where Tara was from. |
| 03 | replied | Answered or responded. | Tara replied, "No, I'm not." |
| 04 | took turns | Alternated doing something one after the other. | Then the women took turns asking Tara if she was from Iran. |
| 05 | responded | Gave a verbal or written answer. | To each question, Tara responded with a simple no. |
| 06 | desks | Furniture where students sit for classwork. | The two went to their desks, talking to each other in Arabic. |
| 07 | Arabic | The native language of the two women. | The two went to their desks, talking to each other in Arabic. |
| 08 | divided | Separated into parts or smaller groups. | The next day, the teacher divided the students into groups of four. |
| 09 | introductory | Serving to introduce; initial or basic. | The students in each group asked introductory questions of each other. |
| 10 | questioned | Asked a series of questions. | The two women who had questioned Tara the day before were sitting nearby. |
| 11 | exclaimed | Cried out suddenly and loudly. | "Aha!" they both exclaimed. "You ARE from Iraq!" |
| 12 | apologized | Expressed regret for something said or done. | Then she apologized to both of them for lying the day before. |
| 13 | lying | Telling an untruth (the gerund form). | She apologized to both of them for lying the day before. |
| 14 | explained | Made an idea or situation clear by describing it in more detail. | She explained that she had not wanted to get into an Arabic conversation. |
| 15 | experience | Knowledge or skill from doing, seeing, or feeling things. | It had been her experience that many ESL students continued to speak their native language. |
| 16 | native language | The first language learned by a person. | Many ESL students continued to speak their native language in ESL class. |
| 17 | practice | To perform an activity repeatedly or regularly to improve skill. | Tara had not come to ESL class to practice her Arabic. |
| 18 | opinion | A belief or judgment about something. | In her opinion, ESL students should try to speak English only. |
| 19 | nodded | Lowered and raised the head briefly to show agreement or greeting. | Rose nodded, and then said something in Arabic. |
| 20 | friendly | Kind and pleasant; showing good will. | Tara became friendly with both women, although she never spoke a word of Arabic. |
Comprehension Questions: The ESL Class Dilemma (Expanded)
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | On what day of the course did the women first question Tara? | It was the **first day of class**. |
| 02 | Where were the two women who questioned Tara from? | They were both from **Iraq**. |
| 03 | Why did one of the women initially assume Tara was Iraqi? | Because Tara **looked Iraqi**. |
| 04 | What language did the women use when they asked Tara her origin? | They asked Tara in **English**. |
| 05 | What were the three Middle Eastern countries, other than Iraq, that the women asked Tara about? | **Iran, Syria, or Jordan**. |
| 06 | What was the content of the joke the two women made about Tara after she answered all their questions? | "She's **not from anywhere**!" |
| 07 | In what language were the two women speaking to each other when they went back to their desks? | In **Arabic**. |
| 08 | How was the class structured on the second day? | The teacher **divided the students into groups of four**. |
| 09 | What type of questions did the groups ask of each other? | **Introductory questions**. |
| 10 | How did the two women find out Tara was actually Iraqi? | They were sitting nearby and **heard her answer** to a student in her group. |
| 11 | What was Tara's initial reaction when she was caught in her lie? | She **smiled** and said yes. |
| 12 | What specific action did Tara perform to acknowledge her dishonesty? | She **apologized** to both of them. |
| 13 | What was the ultimate reason Tara lied about her country of origin? | She did not want to get into an **Arabic conversation**. |
| 14 | What was the common tendency among ESL students, according to Tara's experience? | They continued to speak their **native language** in class. |
| 15 | What was Tara's main goal for attending the ESL class? | To **practice her English** (not her Arabic). |
| 16 | What did Tara believe ESL students should try to do in class? | They should try to **speak English only**. |
| 17 | Who was the first person to verbally agree with Tara's opinion? | **Rose** ("I agree"). |
| 18 | Who immediately stated they were "100 percent right"? | **Jennifer**. |
| 19 | What humorous inconsistency occurred immediately after the women agreed to stop speaking Arabic? | Rose **nodded, and then said something in Arabic**. |
| 20 | Over the next four months, what was Tara's rule regarding Arabic with the two women? | She **never spoke a word of Arabic** to them during class or break. |