English as a Second Language sessions to resume Jan. 17

On a Thursday evening in late October, eight local students kept pace with questions volleyed by a volunteer instructor.

The students, adults enrolled in the English as a Second Language program at Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Rehoboth Beach, had met twice weekly throughout the fall. In this short time, the advanced Level 3 class was building something special: an English language learning community of Spanish-speaking and Eastern European learners. The countries students called home before settling in Delaware include Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Belarus and Ukraine.

Elsewhere in the building, volunteers and staff provided educational and recreational activities for children whose parents worked in nearby classes. Offering five proficiency levels from basic to advanced, the ESL at LCOS program assists non-native speakers throughout their English language journeys. Sharpening their English reading, writing and speaking skills helps adult learners to integrate into local Delaware communities, and prepares them for educational and career opportunities, improving the lives of students and their families.

Sometimes, the classes themselves are family affairs. In the Level 3 class, a husband and wife pored over student manuals and class workbooks together, while two brothers competed amiably to provide fast and accurate responses to the instructor. Together, the eight classmates corrected one another’s grammar and pronunciation while differentiating clauses from phrases and pairing them with companion conjunctions or prepositions. In addition to the class materials, students referred to translation dictionaries, both in hard copies and on mobile phone applications, and handwritten class notes to supplement the learning experience. “Half of knowledge is knowing where to look,” said the instructor.

Rarely, some concepts required translation, and in these instances students broke into an array of languages to assist one another. But primarily, the group worked as a single unit, the intensity of their studies and seriousness of their questions interrupted only by shared laughter around the desks or enthusiastic fist bumps from the instructor.

Since 2003, ESL at LCOS has provided an environment for non-native speakers in the eastern Sussex County area to study English via morning or evening classes taught by volunteer teachers. After a brief hiatus to online learning due to COVID restrictions, ESL at LCOS returned to an all in-person format for the fall 2022 semester, enrolling more than 125 students.

This fall, the program benefited from an influx of Eastern European registrants. Students from Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Russia, and Moldova represented more than 12% of enrolled learners. Other registrants hailed from home countries in Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East.

With the diversity of its recent registrants, ESL at LCOS is now fostering learning communities comprising students from different parts the world. Spanish-speaking and Eastern European students, like those in the Level 3 Thursday night class, have crossed language and cultural barriers to make remarkable progress in their English language studies.

ESL at LCOS is now accepting students for winter classes, and organizers are always excited to welcome new learners and volunteer teachers. Classes begin Tuesday, Jan. 17.

To enroll in English language classes or learn how to help through volunteering or donating, go to lcosrehoboth.org/esl-program. For more information, email the program director at esl@lcosrehoboth.org or call 302-515-4385.