By Debra Houston | Political operatives often give the word “immigrant” a negative connotation. Happily, churches are more magnanimous. In fact, as you roam about Gwinnett, you may notice church signs announcing “ESL Classes.” If so, that church offers English as a Second Language to foreign-born adults. Except for buying a workbook at a nominal fee, the classes are free. Childcare is also commonly available without charge.
Last year I became a substitute ESL teacher at First Baptist Church of Lilburn. My church isn’t the only place of worship that offers ESL. With a GOOGLE search, I counted at least 15 Protestant and Catholic churches that offer classes on various days and times.
At Lilburn, our students come from all over the world. As soon as they walk through the door, they receive a warm hello. We serve coffee and cookies during break and a ride home after class if needed. We let them know we see them as part of our community.
We offer varying levels of instruction based on the person’s fluency in English. The first class I taught was filled with students who spoke no English, and according to the rules, neither they nor I could speak anything but English inside the classroom. So there is no “Spanish lingo” allowed, let’s say, if you teach a primarily Hispanic class. It was challenging for me to connect that first day, but we began with the basics – the English alphabet and simple vocabulary words.
Since I began teaching ESL, I feel more relaxed about engaging in conversation with immigrants outside of church, especially now that I’ve learned to give them time to form responses in English. And I more clearly see them as individuals and less as a politicized group. So it goes with most volunteer work, the helper receives benefits in ways one could never predict.
If you or someone you know is interested in ESL, check first with your local community church. ESL is growing in popularity and ever expanding. We want all our communities to feel included and have the ability to speak English.
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