English Language Center provides free lessons to Cleveland community
Lee students Josh Barrett instructs a group of community members. (Photo: Contributed)
Lee University's English Language Center kicked off another semester of providing free English lessons to the Cleveland international community last Thursday, Feb. 4.
In 2011, Christopher Blake, assistant professor of linguistics & TESOL, established the program with two purposes in mind: to provide affordable (free) English language instruction for adults within the community and to provide hands-on experience for Lee University students who are studying TESOL.
The program takes place every semester for 10 weeks, meeting Thursday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in room 301 in the Walker Memorial Building.
The primary instructors of the course are 18 Lee students enrolled in English Language Center Seminar. These students are given complete responsibility for creating and developing lesson plans, according to the learners' needs, in order to best exercise and improve their English.
'We make our lesson plans unique by complying them with the needs of the students after the first meeting. We ask the students what areas they want to improve on and put them into one of four distinct groups based on their level of proficiency,' Blake said.
The four levels are beginner one, beginner two, intermediate and advanced. Each level experiences a similar session consisting of a warm-up in creating a comfortable and positive atmosphere, a specified grammar or vocabulary lesson, a short break, and 50 minutes of vocal conversation to practice pronunciation and fluency.
'Several language classes within the community don't focus enough on the vocal aspect of the English language, but rather the written aspect,' Blake said. 'So we intentionally design our lesson plans to implement as much interactional communication as possible.'
Sixty to 80 members of the international adult community in Cleveland attended the English Language Center fall semester, representing 16 different countries, Blake said.
Blake said his greatest joy within the program is building relationships with his students while also building relationships with the international members from the community.
'I enjoy when students become confident in teaching English to other students,' Blake said. 'Also, seeing several of the international students who have been consistently coming over the years becoming confident in their abilities is something that is really rewarding.'
Ariana Dawson, junior and double major in TESOL and French, began her second semester teaching English to Cleveland's international community this past week.
'When I started last semester, I was terrified because I walked into a room with a group of people from all over the world who expected me to teach them English,' Dawson said. 'I didn't know what I was getting myself into.'
Last Thursday, Ariana said she occupied the front of the classroom with less pressure and more joy in her heart as familiar faces filed in.
'The students are incredible,' Dawson said. 'They are gracious, humble and lots of fun. It takes a lot of humility as an adult to allow oneself to be taught by a young college student and I respect that about them.'
Not only does the program aid language learners, but TESOL students like Dawson , who gain experience leading in the classroom.
'These students are pouring into us as much as we are them,' Dawson said. 'And this program provides good grounds for undergraduate students to take risks, try new things and make mistakes.'
While many universities exclusively allow master students to teach in a classroom, Lee University provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to have hands-on experience with teaching English as a second language in a diverse setting.
'This is a great opportunity that Lee offers and one I hope students take advantage of,' Blake said.
Any TESOL major or minor student can participate in the English Language Center by taking the one-credit English Language Center Seminar class.