The language of success: A case study of the academic achievement of ESL students who thrive in spite of language barriers

There is a widening gap between the academic achievement of English as a second language (ESL) students and the rest of the school population as students reach higher levels of education. ESL students face the challenge of not only learning the language and their subjects but also adapting to the demands of different cultures. In spite of these challenges, some ESL students are resilient and succeed academically. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that led to academic resilience among a sample of ESL college students. This qualitative case study sought to identify prevalent themes and patterns of ESL students who were able to thrive in spite of the odds. The themes and patterns demonstrate the way different life experiences that have occurred in the lives of ESL students and the choices made by ESL students have made achieving academic resilience possible. The findings also highlight the importance of having a support system and the desire to make that support system proud has had an impact upon the achievement of academic resilience.