¶ … intersection of ESL learners and ESL teachers, both of whom have specific needs that have to be met in order for a positive and productive interaction to take place. Educators of a high percentage of English Language Learners (ELLs) students are faced with financial concerns as the cost of training has increased significantly in recent years (RPS, 2015) while students are impacted by the pressure of needing to become proficient in academic English in order to be prepared and to excel at secondary studies. Furthermore, neither of these situations is static but rather is dynamic and affects each other, as needs change on an individual basis. Moreover, the new ESL curriculum places new demands on both, further affecting the issue. The problem is how to measure the effect that the two (student and teacher) have on one another in terms of impacting preparation and effectiveness.

The research question is two-fold and inter-related: First, how does the new English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum impact the students' language proficiency and academic progress? And, second, what is the process of the curriculum committee in making decisions about courses? These two questions reflect the core considerations at the heart of the intersection of the ESL student-teacher relationship. (Creswell, 2012)

2. Research Design and Approach

The instrumental case study approach will be utilized in this study in order to provide a description, analysis and interpretation of the phenomenon that exists at the intersection of ESL students and ESL teachers regarding the new culture surrounding the new curriculum. The instrumental case study is helpful in isolating a specific area of concern and utilizing a single case "to illustrate...

74). Likewise, Baxter and Jack (2008) report that the instrumental case study allows the researcher to gain insight on an issue (p. 549). Thus, the research design is based on phenomenological analysis, which gains insight by observing the interactions of the particular persons affected by the intersecting issues (Merriam, 2002). The design includes in-depth interviews with participants (teachers and students) and immersion by the researcher into the world of the ESL teacher and student so as to better understand this situation.
3. Sampling Procedures

The sampling procedure that will be used in this study will be convenience sampling. This will allow the researcher to utilize the resources that are available to him at the school where the new curriculum is taught. Thus, this study will be most important to the individual school as it will reflect on the relationship between the teacher and the student as well as the needs of each. Therefore, the sampling will be convenience, using the ESL teachers and students at this particular college, so long as there are no objections on their part.

4. Data Collection Methods

For this qualitative study the data was collected by way of an interview with a teacher as well as by classroom observation. The social connection helped established intimacy and rapport, which is essential in a phenomenological study (Obeng, 2002). Both open-ended and close-ended questions were utilized.

Closed-ended questions are helpful for gathering precise, basic information, while open-ended questions are helpful for gathering information that allows the researcher to develop a more in-depth understanding of the participant. Open-ended questions…