English Learners Outside the Classroom: The Effects of Participating in Extracurricular Activities

Table 5

Recommendations from the students

	Recommendations from the students
Student 1	Recognize there are still students arriving in the country.
	Target more resources to newcomers just like Elementaries do
Student 2	Announcements in Spanish
	More bilingual teacher aids. (There are only 2 for 45 students)
	Focus on many cultures so everyone feels included
Student 3	Connect academics to extracurricular activities
	Provide extra credit

During the last set of questions, when students were asked if they felt the school did a good job at making them feel integrated and part of the school culture, all three students described pleasant experiences and said they were satisfied at how the school integrated them. Student 1 however, noticed that even though all students are welcomed to join any school activity, most of the resources to integrate newcomers to the school are usually found at lower grade levels. He mentioned that having afterschool programs that were focused on English acquisition made him feel part of a community and helped him develop his skills. He recommended establishing programs like the one he experienced at the elementary level. Student 2 expressed that besides the negative experiences she had with her swimming coach, everyone at the school including teacher and students always made her feel part of the school culture and overall celebrated her improvements. However, she mentioned that something that could be improved is having more bilingual aides to help newcomers. She said there are only two aides who must translate for 45 students which is very difficult even when counselors do their best at putting most of the newcomers in the same classes. The school has a multicultural night every year, and Student 2 said it was one of her favorite events because it made her feel that every culture is equally important and celebrated. She suggested having more events and activities like this. Also, she remembered some of the announcements made in Spanish on several occasions, this was made to celebrate the month of National Hispanic Heritage month. She remembered feeling enthusiastic listening to the announcements in her language. She recommended to keep using Spanish since most of the school population is Hispanic and newcomers would benefit from it. Finally, Student 3 mentioned that one suggestion she had was to link academics to extracurricular activities and provide extra credit to those who participated. However, she
recognized that this could be an issue to those students who do not participate due to scheduling or at home situations.