As an ESL teacher at a university intensive English program, I am sometimes invited to local secondary schools to present to content teachers on how to support English language learners (ELLs). This is a subject area that I feel is very important and needs to be included in teacher training. My presentations are focused on teaching techniques and resources. Additionally, I include excerpts of interviews I have conducted with ELLs about their experiences as students in the United States. The students have expressed that their performance in school is greatly influenced by factors of culture shock: homesickness, stress from language, and pressure to assimilate. In the presentations, I share quotes by ELLs regarding their experiences. The students' words leave the audience with a reminder to be sensitive to the many challenges of ELLs, which extend beyond the difficulties of language alone. Contact me at elias@newpaltz.edu.