Once classes begin, poor attendance is the next hurdle to overcome. Many ELP students are migrant laborers with limited financial resources, which presents an impediment to classroom attendance. Although education is valued by the students, it remains a distant second to daily sustenance. Attendance is also affected by transportation difficulties, since a number of ELP students do not own cars. Instead, they depend on friends and family for transportation, especially in rural areas.
Many students are eager to attend class but lack of transportation prevents it.
ELP instruction presents a challenge for some teachers. Many of them, particularly if they do not have another language experience, find the language barrier intimidating. This challenges teachers to find alternative means of conveying concepts. Compounding the problem, a large number of ELP students have low level skills or are not literate in their native languages. They must learn basic grammar skills along with English language fluency.