Teaching English for Social Integration

Rafael Reyes, a student in the certificate program of the Institute of G.O.D., immigrated from Mexico 25 years ago. Rafael experienced the challenge of learning a second language out of necessity after he came to the USA. Though his rural high school provided a special English course for immigrant children, Rafael was expected to complete all his standard coursework -- math, science, language arts, etc -- alongside his non-immigrant peers in their native English language. He knows the difficulty of learning a new language while getting an education, working, and living in an English speaking environment. This experience has given him a unique and valuable perspective as an ESL teacher. Rafael is committed to making his students’ learning experience practical, encouraging and fun!

When Jesus healed someone, he made the effort to reintegrate them back into society. He attended to the whole person. It is Jesus’ model of ministry that has guided our efforts to teach ELL. You may not have considered language learning to be in line with Jesus’ practice of healing, but to the immigrants who benefit from our classes, language learning is a matter of their overall health and wellbeing.

Language acquisition is not an easy task. You might remember taking a foreign language class in high school. If you did, you had a teacher, the appropriate resources, and time and there was nothing, or not many things, that prevented you from learning the language. Did you learn it? If you didn’t, as many students don’t, it was probably because you didn’t feel that it was a pressing need. This is not the experience of immigrant language learners.

An immigrant has responsibilities, obstacles, almost no time, and often no teachers or resources to learn the new language. But they make language acquisition a priority because it’s an essential component of learning how to navigate their new world. For them it’s not just about learning new words; It’s about learning new ways of living, of doing things, of thinking, and ways of expressing themselves. Their language-learning goals go beyond understanding any one speaker. It’s about understanding the world around them, the context that affects every part of their day-to-day lives.

Refugees are offered financial assistance for 1 month upon arrival. This requires them to get and hold a job quickly in order to survive. One way that English is taught is through Driver’s Ed classes. In this picture, some of the Burmese are learning how to be informed and safe drivers in order to get to and from their jobs and other necessary destinations.

I have been involved in an ELL (English Language Learning) program in Madison, TN, for two years. The program is part of GOD International’s program Language in Action. Some of our students have participated in the program since it began two years ago. All of our learners are committed learners. They are also parents and hard workers. They have many responsibilities, and they must do them while also trying to navigate a new world.

Grocery stores in America can be very overwhelming for immigrant and refugees that are used to open markets with limited produce. In this picture, volunteer Grace Aaseby teaches two Congolese women how to navigate a grocery store, basic phrases used, and how to shop smart.

Because our program is about helping people integrate into society and live fuller lives, it has been crucial for us to evaluate their needs and make necessary adjustments to meet those needs in the best way possible. We don’t just teach English. We teach people. We acknowledge the reality that our students need more than English words or phrases: They need to understand what’s behind those words so that they can fully understand and participate in the world they are a part of. When Jesus encountered people who had been rejected by their society, he listened to them, spent time with them, cared for them, healed them, and restored them to wholeness so that they could become full participants in their world. This was his ministry; and therefore, this is our ministry.