P

h
o
t
o

C
r
e
d
i
t
s
:

T
h
i
n
k
s
t
o
c
k

Xiomara Diaz, 35

First generation immigrant from
Dominican Republic.
Immigrated 5 years ago to Miami,
FL.
Single mother of one daughter.
Attained a High School degree
from Dominican Republic.
Works in the kitchen of a
restaurant since she arrived.
She came to the U.S. looking for
better economic opportunities and
a good education for her daughter.
Her parents live in Dominican
Republic
She shares an apartment with her
mothers cousin.
Love watching telenovelas (soup
operas).
Likes to play cards and board
games.
I know that to move ahead in the United States, I need to learn English very well,
everybody says that, even here in Miami.
My daughter is in school, she is learning English fast, Im so proud of her! But
I'm afraid one day I will not be able to communicate well to my own daughter!
Desires and motivations

Xiomara wants to attend college to become a professional chef.
She wants her daughter to have a higher education degree, to be successful and
happy with her life.
She would like to marry an American man.
She wants to travel around the world.
Language skills

Spanish dominant
English skills limited to solving basic
communication tasks
She has attended community-free
English classes in the past
She says she understands English
well, but she's unable to express
herself properly in writing or
speaking.
She struggles when have to speak with
her daughters teacher as he doesnt
speak Spanish.
She doesnt have much opportunities
to speak in English in her community.
Computer skills

Owns a desktop computer, which
shares with her daughter.
Reads the news online in Spanish,
and uses Skype to communicate
with her relatives in Dominican
Republic.
Likes to watch cooking videos in
You Tube, (English and Spanish)
Owns a smartphone and sends and
receives work related text-
messages.

John Kim
List of Johns preferences
preferences Like Dislike
Hockey
Baseball
Basketball
Playstation (Video games)
Facebook / Twitter
Hamburg /Pizza
Fruits
Vegitables
Korean food
Arts / New media
English
Mathmatics
Science
Girl friend N/A N/A
Prole DATA Features
Age 13
Gender Male
Occupation Student Middle School
Location New Jersey Paliside Park
Tall/ Weight 170 cm/ 60kg
Skills / interest Sports Hockey
Nationality American Immigrated in
2011
Siblings/ family one older sister living with both
parents
About his circumstances
1. Father is working at Korean restaurant as a chef
2. Mother is housewife, her English is at basic level
3. Sister lives in different city, New York
4. He has to nish mandatory ESL classes / He feels
more comfortable with speaking Korean
5. He likes sports and hanging out with friends on
Facebook
retrieved from http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/
~david/westhockey/2006/players.html
John is 13 year-old and studies at Masters middle
school in New York. He lives with mother and father
in New Jersey, and his sister is at New York University.
He loves sports, especially ice hockey. His goal is to
become a professional hockey player. Since he
immigrated to the United States a year ago, he has to
take regular classes as well as ESL classes at the school
every day. However, he doesnt like studying English,
since it is uncomfortable to speak with people in
English. He prefers to talk with friends through instant
messages or chatting on Facebook or Twitter. But he
doesnt spend much time on talking with parents.
!"# %&"' ()
!"#$% '()(#*+,) "--"'#*)% .,#-
/0")*1
!*%0(# ,. %2, $,)$1
3--"'#*%(4 5 6(*#$ *', %,
!78$0")'9 :(2 ;,#<1 =")>( 0( $+77
0*?( @8$")($$ ") /0")*9 0( ,)76
>,-( A1= B +-($ (*>0 6(*# %,
-*")%*") 0"$ CD =%*%8$1
E( p7*)s $%*6 ") A1= %, (F%()4 0"$
@8$")($$ %0"$ 6(*#1
E"$ 2".( *)4 0"$ $,)$ 7"?( ") A1=1
E( 0*?( * 0,8$( ") !78$0")'9 :;1
E( 7"<( G7*6 ?"4(, '*-($ 2"%0 0"$
7"H7( $,) ") 0"$ .#(( +-(1

!*+,-*+ &./ 0"12&1".+
E( 2*)% %, <((G (FG()4 0"$ .8#)"%8#( @8$")($$ ") A1=
-*#<(+)'1
E( 2*)% 0"$ $,)$ %, '(% * @(H(# (48>*+,) *)4 '(% * 2,#< ")
A1=1
I know that to expend my business in U.S, it is better
to learn English, even though I have my translator.
My little son was borned in U.S, and got education in
U.S. I hope I can learn English to better communicate
with my son, and benefit to my business as well!
3&.4#&4* +5,66+
/0")($( 4,-")*)%
E( >*)),% 8$( I)'7"$0 %,
>,--8)">*%( 2"%0 G(,G7(9 ,)76
$,-( '#((+)' $()%()>($1
E( "$ %#6")' 7(*#) $()%()>($ .#,- 0"$
7"H7( $,)1
E( $*"4 0( <),2 '#*--*# *)4
2,#4$9 @8% >*)),% -*<( %0(- ")%,
$()%()>($ *)4 $G(*< ,8%1
E( (-G7,6(4 * %#*)$7*%,# .,# 0"$
@8$")($$ #"'0% ),21
E"$ 2".( >*)),% $G(*< I)'7"$0 *$ *779
*)4 *7$, 2*)% %, 7(*#)1
7"08#9*- +5,66+
J2) K*>L,,< M"#9 $()4$
*)4 #(>("?($ (-*"7$
(?(#64*6
E( ,2) $-*#%G0,)(9 8$(
"% '(% *)4 $()4 -($$*'($9
*)4 8$( *GG$1
A$(4 =<6G( %,
>,--8)">*%( 2"%0 .*-"76
20() 0( 7"?( ") /0")*1
N"<($ %, 2*%>0 OP )(2$
(?(#64*6
My name is Valeria and I am a certified English and Spanish teacher.
I have taught all levels of Spanish and English, and have helped
native Spanish speakers prepare for the Alternative High School
Assessment.

I am friendly, outgoing and patient, and always bring new ideas and
materials into the classroom.
- Valeria Ortiz Reyes, 32
Qualifications
Holds Masters Degree in
ESL and Bachelors Degree
in English from NJCU.
Freelance Private Tutor for
English, ESL and Spanish.
Tutored middle and high
school students (K-8 to
K-12) in Communiversity
program.
Used to teach religious
education at R.C. Church
in Brooklyn, NYC
Presented in several
workshops at the NJEA
Teachers Conference in
Atlantic City.
About Valeria
Second-generation Latin
American.
Moved to USA with family
from Puerto Rico when she
was 3 years old.
2
nd
from top in a family of
5 children, so teaching comes
naturally.
Lives in Morganville, NJ*
with husband (George Reyes,
IT consultant) and two sons.
Currently tutors her 6 year
old son in Math and English.
Loves cooking, photography
and running.
Beliefs, Motivations and Frustrations

Having grown up in the US all her life, she initially
sensed a conflict in relating to her Hispanic ethnic
identity. With time and age, she has grown more
comfortable of her ethnic identity. However,
acculturation is still slightly anglo-oriented
bicultural
She has strong family values and visits her parents in
Newark, NJ quite often. She is also a Catholic and
attends St. Thomas More Church regularly.
She is not completely satisfied with her salary of
$49,260, which led her to also freelance as a private
tutor.
However, she volunteers at the church to teach the
neighborhood children 3 days in a week, due to her
strong religious and moral upbringing.
P
h
o
t
o

C
r
e
d
i
t
:

w
w
w
.
w
y
z
z
a
n
t
.
c
o
m

Refeiences foi valeiia's Peisona

* - Souice: http:www.wyzant.comTutoisN}Noiganville777427S
** - Souice: http:www.wyzant.comTutoisN}Pailin84Suu11
*** - Souice: http:www.wyzant.comTutoisN}Colonia8u82798
**** - Souice: Tong, Fuhui; Castillo, Linua u.; Peiez, Aiua E. (2u1u! # $%&'()*)+,'-* $.)/,*0 )/ #''1*21.-2,)34 52(3,'
67032,2& -37 80-'(,3+ 5//,'-'& -9)3+ :-2,3) 63;%0.<,'0 80-'(0.%, Inteinational Euucation Stuuies S, (S),
www.ccsenet.oigies
***** - Souice: Bosei, 0liich (2u11) 80-'(0. =,<0.%,2& >-220.%? # @2-20;A&;@2-20 #3-*&%,% )/ 80-'(0.% )/ B)*)., Centei foi
Ameiican Piogiess 2uSu Repoit, www.ameiicanpiogiess.oig