Workshop offers assistance for English language learners

English Learner’s Friday is a short seminar put on by the English as a Second Language department every Friday in the Humanities Building.

The students come from all places, but they mutually desire a better understanding of English; the perfect environment for a lecture style class with one-on-one help.

The overall goal of the program is to provide more instructional support to language students, ESL and ELF coordinator Lee Chen said.

“They learn in class, but some topics don’t get taught.”

As well as providing lessons on a range of different topics for students, the program also accommodates all levels of English learners. The program has been up and running for three semesters now.

Mike Rouse, one of the ESL tutors who was on site during a Jan. 23 Friday seminar, said the lessons benefit students in a multitude of ways, such as expanding on what the professors start with in class, and providing an environment that encourages learning as a whole.

Rouse also commented that he sees pronounced improvement in students who come every week. The importance of repetition in language is not to be taken lightly. These one to one-and-a-half hour weekly classes can really make the difference.

Chen remarked that there are only 15 Fridays during the semester on which these meetings can take place. Friday was chosen to hold this event because there are typically less classes that day, as well as the ESL computer lab is generally open.

Funding for the ELF program comes from the state-run Basic Skill Initiative program, as well being included in the budget to support tutors.

Rouse said he expects anywhere from 15 to 35 students to show up to the average lesson; more students attend when the more important topics are covered.

“It’s very useful,” Maryam Mousaui, a student from Iran, said. “The most useful thing is the community.”

Maryam attends the lessons with a couple of other Iranian students. She remarked that they make the same kind of mistakes, so being able to work together helps her spot those mistakes.

ELF is held every Friday in the Humanities building ESL computer lab room H-118 starting at 11 a.m. The lessons are free, and there is plenty of room. The public is invited to stop by.