Focus
At the beginning of each ESOL class, Susan, our instructor, writes her name and my name on the white board under the heading 'teachers.' She then writes the words 'speaking, listening, writing, reading' in a list. "My name is Susan Woodworth. First name Susan; last name Woodworth," she says, pointing to the words with her finger. Then she'll do the same with my name. "We are teachers," she says, pointing out the pluralizing s . "There are two teachers in the classroom today." The students seem to be fascinated by my last name. I'll be standing there, off to the side of the three rows of folding tables, attention fixed on the white board, and I'll hear it. Cebula. Cebula. se-BOO-lah . SEH-boo-leh . Cebulacebulacebulacebula. I'll look around and three or four of the students will be looking at the white board, or at Susan, fairly expressionless, just repeating the sounds of my last name, qu...