In my opinion, the diversity of people living and working here in Fort Morgan, Colorado, makes life fun. One enjoyable aspect is that it provides me (and my wife) with opportunities to build relationships with people while helping them learn English.
I’m humbled when I take in the realities of some people who arrived in the U.S. as adults, found a job they could start right away that doesn’t require use of English, and ever since have been working hard in that job. Many of them don’t have enough extra time and energy to learn English. Add on top of that the myriad of other stresses that probably take precedence over language learning. Language learning might be a desire, but sometimes doesn’t become a top priority until years later.
I have been working with a trio of the students learning English as a Second Language (ESL) for a few months now. All three are Somali and have been in Fort Morgan for several years. Two of them are at a beginning level, and the other is much more advanced. I learn a lot about Somali culture from them, particularly the more advanced student, and I think they might learn a little bit from me. I’ve noticed some progress.
To help the beginner students with basic vocabulary, I struggled to find resources I liked in U.S. English that provided both oral and visual word presentations and could be used at home, so I started doing something I never would have guessed I would be doing. I started making some really simple videos with images, the corresponding word, and my recording of the word. The quality isn’t amazing, but I think they serve a reasonable purpose. They’ve been well-received by my students. If you’re curious, you can check out my YouTube channel HERE.
To accommodate the ever-changing dynamics of lessons and student interests, I’m actually switching one of the beginner ESL lessons this week to be an open group for anyone who is interested in joining. We will see how that hour goes this coming Saturday afternoon.
If you know someone in your church, school, workplace, or neighborhood who is still working on their English skills, I encourage you to see if they might enjoy some intentional conversations or another activity that might be helpful to them. Or consider connecting with an organization that might help you link with someone. It’s meaningful and fun!
Comments