They tend not to know that they can, and in fact should, bring their own reflections to bear on the subject matter. Reading for them involves the retrieval of information, of words. Questions they are asked about a text send them scurrying to that text to find the words to quote or copy in response to the question. They have limited experience with accessing their own ideas or responding to someone else's, and they often have little to write about, or little to say related to the subject of the text. Developmental ESL students need a solid start toward inventing themselves as readers and writers.
Personal histories offer a good point of departure because they belong to students.
With their personal histories, students can assume a stance of authority over something that they, and only they, have knowledge of. As they listen to each other, they become conscious of differences and similarities between their own histories and those of their partners. The point is for them to understand how texts are created on the basis of personal significance. Writers narrow and organize their material on the basis of what is significant to them. The concept of significance is extremely important in working with developmental ESL students.