Speak Easy

ESL & Immigrant Ministries Newsletter

Fall 2013

In This Issue
Annual Fund
Teacher Training
About ESLIM
Mission Statement

 

We promote and support the teaching of English to adult immigrants of all nationalities in Northern Virginia and welcome their active participation in our community. 

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Thank you...

  
to our fall teacher training hosts: Terri Kennedy and Allison Carazo at Crossroads UMC, Audrey Morris and Sarah Camodeca at First Presbyterian Church, and Ed Maldonado and Cliff Mauck at Graham Road UMC; and
  
to the Arlington District of the United Methodist Church for supporting ESLIM with its offering from the Arlington District Conference.
Member Churches 
  

Arlington United Methodist Church

 

Bruen Chapel United Methodist Church

 

Calvary United Methodist Church

 

Centreville United Methodist Church

 

Crossroads United Methodist Church

 

Culmore United Methodist Church

 

Dulin United Methodist Church

 

First Presbyterian Church & Mount Olivet United Methodist Church (joint program)

 

Galloway United Methodist Church & Seventh Day Baptist Church (joint program)

 

Grace United Methodist Church

 

Graham Road United Methodist Church

 

Lord of Life Lutheran Church

 

Saint Matthew's United Methodist Church

 

Trinity Episcopal Church

 

Way of Faith Ministries

Greetings from ESLIM

In this season when we are especially aware of our blessings, we are grateful for many things: faith, family, friends. For those of us involved with ESL ministry, we might add to the list new friends from faraway lands; the opportunity to learn about different customs and cultures and to discover common ground; and the privilege of welcoming people to our community and serving as a resource for them. In this issue, you'll see how one of our member programs, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, celebrates each semester. 

 

Thank you for your interest in ESLIM's mission and for your continued support! 

Is There a Typical ESL Class Session? 

by Dorothy Sorrell, ESLIM Board Member and ESL Volunteer at Lord of Life Lutheran Church

 

To say that ESL teachers are dedicated and resourceful would be an understatement. Our teachers come prepared to teach their planned lesson...and then a student will have a question, or a news event seems important enough to discuss, or review of one concept will uncover a lack of understanding of another. That's when our teachers show their skills and their desire to help the students in their class, because they truly believe in what they are doing to help their students.

 

Each semester is a new beginning. The teachers and books can be the same as the previous semester, but new students (or returning ones who have had more weeks speaking English), present new challenges. How do you form a lesson plan that takes into account students of various backgrounds, ages and abilities, and teach? It takes good listening, patience, caring, creativity, and a sense of humor. A lesson on health leads to talking about going to the doctor, describing illness symptoms, and understanding instructions given to the patient. What better way to learn the names of body parts than a rousing rendition of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes"? You want to practice conversational English?  Get everyone out of their chairs to and hold a non-cocktail party--mingle, people, mingle! 

 

The highlight of Lord of Life's ESL Program is the banquet held at the end of the semester. Students and their families and teachers bring national dishes to share: the family from El Salvador brings lasagna, the priest student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo brings Doritos, and then there are the American versions of ethnic food. Class pictures are taken, and the children of the students smile broadly with pride at their parents' accomplishments. Before we eat, a blessing is asked by our priest student--in French. There follows a true fellowship meal--all are welcome and appreciated for the unique person they are in this God-given diverse world.  Teachers and students alike are thankful for the time spent together.
Annual Fund
Your donation to ESLIM helps our member programs spend more on essentials such as books and supplies and provide more scholarships to students who cannot afford the registration fee. To donate via PayPal or find instructions for mailing a check, please visit our website. Or designate #60490 in the Combined Federal Campaign.
Teacher Training Opportunity

ESLIM will offer Refresh and Renew Teacher training on Sunday, January 26, 2014 at Grace United Methodist Church in Manassas from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This workshop is open to all new and returning ESLIM teachers.  

To register, please send your name, mailing address, email address and phone number to office@eslim.org. You will receive a confirmation email as well as further details. 

Teaching Tips Wanted!
Do you have a favorite classroom activity to share? Please submit your ideas to office@eslim.org.  
About ESLIM

ESLIM's member churches offer low-cost English classes for adult immigrants, taught by volunteers. Students who cannot pay receive scholarships.

 

To support the efforts of each of the program sites, ESLIM handles a variety of tasks in a centralized way.  Its activities include the following:  

  • Advertising for volunteers
  • Placing and training volunteer teachers
  • Advertising the class schedule in foreign-language media
  • Sending class schedule flyers to local libraries
  • Maintaining a voice-mail line in which calls can be returned in English and Spanish
  • Producing the Speak Easy e-newsletter three times per year
  • Maintaining a website that features the class schedule, a variety of resources for teachers, and information for faith communities considering an ESL ministry

 

The cost of running ESLIM is normally divided among our member churches in proportion to the student enrollment at each church. However, for three semesters we are placing a "moratorium" on the membership fee so that churches may increase their investments at the local level. We also engage in fundraising efforts to reduce the costs to our member churches.