The ESL Bridge

These past weeks our course has been discussing how ESL can encourage student voices and bridge gaps between students. This week the article I read served as a testimony to this same idea. The program began in 2003 at the Assumption Church in Philadelphia with 90 adult learners. Since its beginnings, the Parish has had hundreds of immigrants who credit the sense of belonging to the program. There is a small fee with the learning needing to purchase their own books, but since it is not immersion, students are able to maintain their livelihood and learn. Learners come from all different backgrounds and have authentic experiences with cultures and, of course, learning English.

Of course in coursework we study the methods and the benefits, but to truly see faces and hear experiences makes this week a little different. This article highlights the necessity of authenticity and communication as learning. Even today I thought I would love to talk to someone in French, just to get some practice in. I don't have the opportunities like the immigrants in Philadelphia..or do I? When the authenticity isn't possible, this is where technology could come into play. I did a quick google search and found tandem and hellotalk.com. Both applications boast that you can chat with someone from another country to practice your language. In the tandem app you choose the language, you choose the topic, and it connects you. Apps and technology will never replace human interaction, but it provides a doorway that have previously been nonexistent.









Reference:
Israel, D. (2020). English as a second language program helps Bayonne immigrants find their voices. Retrieved from
https://hudsonreporter.com/2020/02/28/the-english-as-a-second-language-program-that-helps-bayonne-immigrants-find-their-voice/