Teaching English to immigrants in America
Wednesday, 25th March 2009
Recent TESOL course graduate Chris Dade tells us about his experiences teaching ESOL to Somali immigrants in Minnesota.
Banana.
Such a simple word. But one whose pronunciation by yours truly was quite a source of amusement to my American friends on our TEFL course in Mexico. Strikes me as ironic then that the first place in which I have been able to put my newly acquired teaching skills to work has been the USA.
Thanks to a beautiful American wife I am now settling in the USA, St Paul in Minnesota to be precise, awaiting the outcome of my application for permanent residence and volunteering for a charity teaching English to mainly Somali immigrants. And so in addition to the often different pronunciation of words in British English and American English, I am now conscious of how spellings may also differ. Substituting a Z for a S in certain words. Omitting the U from others. I hope that I am learning fast.
When I was training at the school in Guadalajara our teaching practice took place at a sister school where many of the students required English to either further improve what were already good academic prospects or to increase the opportunities to progress in the careers on which they were already embarked.
How very different from some of the experiences of the students in my current classes, many of whom have left behind harrowing experiences in their African homelands in the hope of finding a better life. For them learning English is primarily the means by which they can function at even a basic level in the new society in which they find themselves. A few elementary words can be the difference between them sitting in their apartment all day, every day and having the confidence to venture into the strange world outside. Successful lives in their homeland are all but forgotten as they are effectively starting all over again, often with little in the way of material possessions.
Our classroom is located in the community centre that is annexed to a high-rise apartment complex that can house up to 2000 residents at any one time. The hive of activity and warmth of the people that greet me and my fellow teachers when we arrive for class certainly belies the difficulties that many of our students are facing. Unsurprisingly, as a charity, one of the difficulties that we share with our students is a lack of resources. Resources that could help them maximise their learning potential. Text books in the classroom are seldom sufficient for class and most definitely not sufficient to allow students to take them home and revise.
With regular attendance in class one of the best environments in which students can repeatedly practise a new language a student only has to miss a handful of lessons and their progress can be severely impaired. Despite their obvious enthusiasm to learn, attendance amongst our students can fluctuate greatly. Family commitments, particularly where students have large extended families, can be one factor affecting attendance. As many of our students are also elderly, health problems can be another.
One of my keenest students was always Faduma, a Somali woman probably in her sixties, who would often be the first to arrive for class and whose attendance you could almost guarantee. She had an obvious struggle with writing but was determined to persevere and was quite simply a pleasure to have in my class. When I returned from a recent 2 week break she was nowhere to be seen. The little triumphs we had together may now have been all in vain if she does not return. I can only hope that she is not experiencing any health issues or other traumas and that she returns to class one day for not only do I like to think that I had helped in some small way to make her life better but her determination and warmth as a human being has without doubt enriched my own.
Another issue encountered by several of our students, to which I alluded with my tale of Faduma, is their recording of the information that we cover in class. Something of added importance considering the limited number of textbooks we have available. Conquering a new language is not going to come easy when their literacy skills are little more than rudimentary. Then again it is not unusual to wander amongst the students and to observe words written in beautiful Arabic alongside an English definition that has been somewhat more of an uphill struggle. Learning this new language can also entail learning a new alphabet.
Although there are reasons why we, students and teachers alike, should not succeed let me reassure you that succeed we most definitely do. Obstacles there may be but that only serves to make the successes even sweeter and the rewards even greater.
When I first entertained thoughts of becoming a TEFL/TESL teacher perhaps I was imagining days of lounging on a golden beach somewhere. Teaching a few lessons here and there. Enough to fund my life in the sun. That was not to be. Still I could not be happier.
Other events in my life have led me to this unexpected place. But it certainly seems to be the place I was meant to be in more ways than one.
Tags: tesol, efl, course, language, united states, tefl, learning, english
Posted by Laura Harrison 2009-03 under Experience Cultures, Teaching Languages,
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