Our goal in ESL (English Second Language) is to help students build real life English skills while celebrating their own native culture and language. We accomplish this through literature with an emphasis on authors from students' cultural backgrounds. Students read, discuss, research and write essays on themes presented in readings. Combined with the literary aspect of ESL, our class also focuses on the four core competencies of reading, listening, speaking and writing. Students will be prepared to pass the English Regents exam in their junior year. As part of helping students prepare for the real world we incorporate the use of educational media in the classroom, such as using laptop computers for online research, learning how to use Power Point and Word programs, as well as learning how to navigate the internet. We believe the above mentioned skills unable students to become a functional member of society.