The influx of immigrants and refugees with little or no previous formal education has made the investigation of English as a Second Language (ESL) literacy instructional techniques and methods a priority within the ESL professional field. The 2003-2004 resettlement of over 12,000, mostly preliterate, Somali Bantu refugees to the United States has become a focal point of the ESL literacy field. In this study, I investigate the past and present experiences of five Somali Bantu women refugees in relation to their experiences within my ESL literacy classroom and their second language acquisition. Through in-depth interviews, observations, and personal reflections, the learners' perceptions of the researcher's class and the ESL literacy techniques used within that class are examined. Additionally, the personal and educational experiences of the women in Somalia, Kenya, and the United States are explored. I also reflect upon my personal and professional experiences with the participants during the past twenty months and my own evolution as a teacher throughout the interview process. This qualitative case study gives insight into the life experiences of the participants, the strengths they bring with them, and their perceptions of their ESL education within the United States. The experiences of the women and the researcher shape the studies programmatic and instructional implications which maximize the use of the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students within the classroom while supporting their literacy development. Appended are: (1) Key Interview Questions; (2) Example Language Approach Modification; (3) First Consonant Sound Alphabet; and (4) Ten Week Curriculum for Use with Preliterate Learners. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.) [M.A. Thesis, University of Maryland.]