Today, I went to Northview Central Middle School and assisted with the English as a Second Language (ESL) course for adult learners. Within the class that I assist, twenty different countries are represented within the body of students. It was evident that there was such a diverse group when we went around and introduced ourselves and stated our home country. A large percentage of the class is Chinese or from a country in the Middle East. Today’s topic for the Level 1 learners, which was the small group I worked with, was understanding the continuous present tense of the English language. This includes words like “swimming,” “writing,” and the like. We also worked on answering the following question: “What is he/she/they/you doing?” I spent a little more than two hours working with the class. Most of that time was tutoring my small group while a small portion of time was working one-on-one with a woman from the Middle East. She was working on more basic vocabulary words. I enjoyed my time working with the ESL class, and I am looking forward to next Thursday already. Here is a link that describes the course offered within the Washington Township district.
I did not know what to expect when I committed to my ICR placement with an ESL class. All I knew was that everyone taking the class had come to the United States within the last twelve months and that there was a long waiting list for the class itself. On page 54 of “Tao Te Ching,” the final line reads “How do I know the world?” I am often consumed in “the Butler Bubble” and do not get to truly experience the community I am part of. Being involved in this ESL class forced me to examine that question for myself. As an American, I was a minority in the class. All the students came from different countries, but they were each trying to help one another and help others understand. In a time of confusion and frustration trying to learn a new language, every student tried to help his neighbor despite the language barrier. This lesson is far superior than any lesson I could take away on the literal linguistics of the English language. The readings we have examined on Confucianism have emphasized the importance of social harmony and relationships. The students were building relationships with one another despite not being able to speak the same language. Community is not always an important value in the American culture, but it was evident that community provides great support and can be built among very different individuals.
I have started learning the basics of the Arabic alphabet through Duolingo. Learning the alphabet of another language helps me understand how difficult it is for others to learn the English alphabet. There was an exercise we did in class where the teacher or aid (me) held a whiteboard in front of our mouth. Then we spoke a series of letters. The students were to respond by writing down the letters they heard. When the teacher spoke “A, E, I, O, U” the students gasped at the difficulty of identifying the different letters despite the similar sounds. To me as an American, this seemed like such a simple task. However, learning the Arabic alphabet all sounds the same to me as well.
Just being part of the class for the short time that I was proved that building community is important and can and should be done across cultural barriers. I developed a deeper appreciation for slowing down and listening to the students. It is important to speak slowly when talking to new English language learners, and Americans are not known for wanting to slow down. When I worked one-on-one with the woman in my class, she did not understand the course material in the same way that the other students were learning it. I had to use creative problem-solving skills to figure out a new way to help her learn the material. Being involved in this ESL class was a great learning experience for me while I help my fellow community members learn English as well.