The International Language Institute of Massachusetts ( ILI ), located in Northampton, MA, offers free English (ESOL) classes (eight levels from beginner to advanced) and services for adult immigrants and refugees through a five-year grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE). Although classes are divided into four sessions, students can join any time there is an opening. The demand for these free English classes is far greater than what our grant allows us to offer and students may spend 2 - 18 months on a waiting list before they can enter into one of our classes.

Our ESOL learners in the DOE Program are a diverse group. They come from a wide variety of countries (Turkey, Palestine, Russia, Poland, Greece, Ecuador, Colombia, China, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, etc.). As a result, English is truly our common language. Their ages range from 18 to late 50s. Some of them have advanced degrees from universities in their countries of origin and others’ education didn’t go beyond primary school. Some of them have more than one job, some come to class after having just finished a long shift, a few are unemployed, or are homemakers. Their needs and motivations for participating in the DOE program are also varied. Some dream of attending a college or university in the U.S.; others want to get a better job. Many want to take the citizenship test to become a U.S. citizen, and all of them want to improve their day-to-day life in an English-speaking environment.

Although DOE teachers attend to all areas of language development—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—, the emphasis is on increasing students’ ability to communicate their own thoughts in both oral and written English and to understand the ideas of others in a wide variety of settings. As such, we base our curriculum on the students’ short- and long-term goals and incorporate real-life contexts and materials that are responsive to the needs, skills, goals, and interests of our adult learners. We strive to create a classroom environment that is relaxed and friendly where intercultural learning can take place. It is critical for our learners to feel supported and comfortable while taking risks in authentic and meaningful communication practice. Given that learning about cultural norms and U.S. institutions is an important aspect of learning American English, we believe that our adult immigrant and refugee ESOL learners need to understand how U.S. systems work in order to advocate for themselves and their families within these systems.

The International Language Institute also has a Volunteer English Tutor Program in which DOE students enrolled in one of our classes or on are waiting lists are matched with native English-speaking volunteer tutors from the community. These volunteer tutors work with our students on a one-on-one basis in order to improve their English language skills and to help them adjust to life in the U.S. In addition, DOE students have access to ILI’s Computer Lab where they can continue learning English through a wide variety of programs while gaining computer skills. Computer tutors are also available upon request.

If you would like more about the DOE Program or volunteer your time, please contact the DOE Program Coordinator, Macey Faiella, by phone at 586-7569 (x117) or by e-mail at: macey@ili.edu

 

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