Darek Benesh is on the program today to discuss English as a second language students.  ESL students are an important topic in an increasingly diverse American population. All teachers will at some time in their teaching career have an ESL student in their classrooms. The program focuses on understanding what ESL instruction is and how teachers can help ESL students in general education classrooms.  Darek has a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa in teaching English to speakers of other languages, T.E.S.O.L., with a minor in English education.  Darek was an elementary ESL and secondary English teacher for four years.  He later received a M.A. in English with an emphasis in creative writing from the University of Northern Iowa.  Darek is also the father of three children in a bilingual household.  Darek has taught ESL students at Kirkwood Community College for a total of four years, and today he is a doctoral student at the University of Iowa in the language, literacy, and culture program.