Happy Monday from Literacy Connexus! We hope that this blog post finds everyone in good faith and good health. We really appreciate those of you who read our content every week, and we are grateful for everyone that we are able to reach.
Today I want to talk a little about the myth surrounding English language learning.
MYTH: Immigrants don’t want to learn English.
TRUTH: Most immigrants want to learn English but it’s not always a question of wanting to learn.
It can be very difficult to find affordable and accessible English classes. And the few free government-sponsored programs usually have long waiting lists.
Even when classes are available, immigrants often have to choose between class and work—many are working two or three jobs. They might also lack transportation or childcare.
On top of finding affordable and accessible classes, working them into their schedules, and finding their way to class, some students might not have home lives that support “traditional online learning”. Some students may have to attend class from their phones while they cart their children back and forth to school, or listen in on lessons while they take care of young ones or elderly family members. And this does not even attest to any issues with technology that older international students might also face.
While the obstacles many of our students may face can be great, they are not insurmountable. And there are quite a few things we can do as teachers and ministry directors to help students in our communities overcome these challenges.
We can promote our programs first and foremost! Many immigrants who may be interested in learning English simply don’t know about the classes that are available, so let them know. Post flyers at local community places like libraries, grocery stores, and laundromats or best of all at your church.
We can’t do much about our students work and family schedules, but we can make bits and pieces of English available to our students on their own time. For example, in my classes I post the class notes and assignments in a Google Classroom that they can log into at anytime for my students who may have missed something during class due to work or caretaking responsibilities. I also share videos and other resources that put them in control of their own learning, on their own time.
Make sure that your content is easily accessible to your students on their level. If many of your students are not comfortable with technology, then the coolest new language learning app is probably not going to appeal to them. I post the assignments for my class in the Google classroom so that students can view them, but they can submit them in whatever method they are comfortable with, be that through the Google Classroom, email, or simply sending me a picture of their notebooks on WhatsApp. Also make sure that if you do give work or resources to your students that they are free and easily accessible with a cellphone. Most of our students have phones, but not all of our students have home computers or reliable internet access.
Lastly, but probably most importantly, encourage your students. Acknowledge their challenges and assure them that if they work hard and do what they can they can still make plenty of progress in their learning. Life happens, but that doesn’t mean that learning has to stop.
What else can we do as educators to make sure that the English language is accessible and affordable? Let us know some of your ideas, or some things that your program is doing at info@literacyconnexus.org. We’d love to hear from you.
As always, blessings and happy teaching!