The study described in this paper focuses on English language acquisition by adult Hmong Laotian immigrants in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program in a city in the Northeastern United States. Preexistent levels of literacy and second language familiarity are discounted as influences on the speed of students' acquisition of language. Rather, specific learning styles, seen as reflective of the nonformal educational practices typical of a society that until recently was nonliterate, are identified as factors in English language acquisition speed. These learning styles include mimesis, teacher identification, peer communication, and group support and cooperation. In addition to describing the research setting and investigative methods employed, this paper reviews literature on second language acquisition and discusses the current study in the context of symbolic interactionist and ethnomethodological theories. Appended to the paper are the questionnaire administered to the Laotian students, a summary of questionnaire responses, and a count of Indochinese population by State. (Author/GC)