MVCTC Adult Education ESOL Classes at Abiding Christ Lutheran Church

03/06/2019

All of us know the feeling of entering a school or a job the very first time. Nerves we haven’t felt in a long time come to the surface. We wonder what our colleagues, classmates or teachers will be like. Will we actually be able to learn what we want to? Will we meet our goals? All those feelings return and are sometimes even amplified for an adult student taking on the challenge of learning a second language. The teachers at Abiding Christ ESOL wanted you to get a glimpse into our students’ minds to understand how the ESOL classes have both developed and encouraged them to reach their goals and push them forward in the language learning process. The following responses come from a number of different students en-rolled in Abiding’s program.


What has helped you the most to develop your English skills while attending classes at Abiding?

  • Helena from Brazil: MVCTC’s ESOL program has helped me to speak with confidence I didn’t have before. I also needed a lot of help with spelling and that has strengthened also.
  • Diana from Mexico: The ESOL program has been a good part of my life. I needed something I could afford. (Free is good) My confidence in reading and in many other areas has grown.
  • Lucy from Poland: I love learning English from native speakers who love their job.

Other than English skills, what has been the biggest blessing the ESOL program has given you?

  • Nines from Spain: Meeting people from different countries and how your mind grows by being around people not like you.
  • Vanessa from Brazil: The program has given me community and has felt like a home to me.
  • Pia Loreana from Mexico: The program has helped me organize my time and expand my mind by talking to people from around the world.

What future goals do you hope to accomplish while at the Abiding Christ ESOL program?

  • Pia Loreana from Mexico: I want to pass the citizenship test and enter the workforce in education.
  • Evelyn from Guatemala: I hope to learn as much English as I can to complete the GED.
  • Sechan from South Korea: I hope to be able to converse with Americans with more ease.

MVCTC’s ESOL programs not only push people closer to meeting their goals, they also help create a sense of community for people who are far removed from their home cultures. Classrooms become more like home, new friendships form, and students meet their personal goals. All of this lends itself to creating a positive learning environment as students begin to master the English language.