Vocabulary is a big one. If there are a lot of unfamiliar words, it can be hard to understand the story. Another is cultural references. Some short stories have cultural elements that might be confusing for ESL readers.
The main benefit is that short stories are more manageable than long texts for ESL learners. They can focus on a complete story in a shorter amount of time. Also, short stories usually have a clear plot, which makes it easier for students to follow and understand.
Look up new words. When you come across words you don't know while reading a short story, don't skip them. Look them up in a dictionary and make a note of their meanings. This will expand your vocabulary and help with comprehension.
ESL students can improve by reading a variety of short stories regularly. This exposes them to different vocabulary and sentence structures. For example, if they read stories about different cultures, they learn new words related to those cultures. Also, they can practice summarizing the short stories to better understand the main ideas.
One way is by starting with pre - reading activities. For example, showing pictures related to the setting of the book, like the streets in a Latino neighborhood. This gives students a visual context. Then, while reading, encourage them to break down the sentences and look for key words. In 'The House on Mango Street', the simple language makes it easier for ESL students to do this. After reading, have them summarize each vignette in their own words to check their understanding.
Reading these stories can enhance vocabulary. You'll come across new words in different contexts, which makes it easier to remember them. For example, if you read a story about a market, you'll learn words related to buying and selling. Also, it exposes you to different sentence structures. You can see how sentences are formed in English in a natural way, rather than just learning grammar rules. And it can be an enjoyable way to learn, as you get to follow interesting stories while learning the language.
Well, from Hana's story, we could potentially learn a great deal. If it's about her journey through life, perhaps we can learn about how she overcame challenges. For example, if she had to move to a new place, we could learn about how she adapted to a new environment, made new friends, and coped with missing her old home. Also, we might learn about her family values. Maybe her family emphasized the importance of education, and we can see how that influenced Hana's choices in life. And if the story involves her relationships, we could understand how she interacted with different people and what she learned from those interactions.