One way is by starting with pre - reading activities. For example, showing pictures related to the setting of the book, like the streets in a Latino neighborhood. This gives students a visual context. Then, while reading, encourage them to break down the sentences and look for key words. In 'The House on Mango Street', the simple language makes it easier for ESL students to do this. After reading, have them summarize each vignette in their own words to check their understanding.
It is fiction. This book is a coming - of - age novel that tells the story of Esperanza Cordero through a series of vignettes. It's a fictional exploration of her life in a poor Latino neighborhood in Chicago, filled with her dreams, hopes, and the challenges she faces growing up, all created by Sandra Cisneros as a work of imagination rather than a factual account.
Esperanza is the one who narrates. She tells about all the things that happen in and around the house on Mango Street. She talks about her family, the people she meets, and her own feelings as she grows up in that environment.
Yes, it is based on real experiences. Sandra Cisneros drew from her own life growing up in a Latino neighborhood. The vignettes in the book are often rooted in the real people, places, and situations she encountered, though it's also a work of fiction that weaves these real elements together in a creative and literary way.