Creating an ESL class in an LDS Ward (An Introduction)
Our ward has an ESL program for members and their friends. We made a lot of mistakes when we started out, (I should say "I" made a lot of mistakes--I am in charge) and this article will show you how to avoid those mistakes and get up and running quickly. In future articles, I'll help you develop your own ward program. This section is about running an ESL program in an English-speaking country, and teaching immigrants.
We anticipated most sign-ups in our ward, which has immigrants from many countries, would be beginners, with a few intermediate students. Instead, the largest number of students are very advanced, and our first class was too simple. We weren’t prepared to have students who spoke English well. Instead of one class with two teachers, we ended up needing three classes—beginning, intermediate, and advanced.
We allow students to self-select, meaning they decide for themselves which class to attend. We encourage them to move between classes until they find the proper fit, and to change at any time.
Following are the approximate levels for each of the classes, so when we’re asked, we can recommend a level:
Beginners: Any student we can’t hold a conversation with, even with effort. This ranges from absolute beginners to people who took a year or two of English in school in their previous country. This class has a great deal of vocabulary, and only the most basic grammar.
Intermediate: Can hold a conversation, but with great difficulty. This class is mostly grammar, with the vocabulary taught in the context of the grammar. For instance, if we had a grammar lesson that focused on sentences about Joseph Smith, we would teach the vocabulary used in the sentences or simply ask students to tell us when they don’t know a word. We also do basic conversational practice--just talking.
Advanced: Mostly grammar and listening skills. Also situational learning—using a telephone, ordering a meal, calling your child’s school, and so on. This class requires a teacher with a solid understanding of English grammar. Our teacher is professionally trained, and when I observe the class, I learn grammar rules I never knew, or learn why we do things I just do naturally. If the teacher is not a native speaker, a native speaker should be an assistant, to help with the nuances of the language.
Our program operates under the direction of the Relief Society and is part of our literacy program. As the literacy leader, I oversee the program. The teachers are volunteers, not called, unless they ask to be set apart.
The intermediate level should have a native English speaker who generally speaks only English in class, in order to make the students learn by trying hard to communicate with the teacher. The advanced class should have either a native speaker as the teacher, or as the aid. Our teacher isn’t a native speaker, so a native speaker attends, at her request, to assist with the nuances of the language and to allow students to practice communicating with natives. (Accents are an issue for them in trying to understand.)
If all your beginners speak the same language, they can have a teacher from their country, but you face the temptation to teach in that language. A native speaker may be preferable.