ESL (English as a Second Language)

Our Aim
Grace Community Church provides English classes to immigrants from a variety of countries to help improve their language skills and to assist them in adjusting to American culture. We want to extend our hospitality to immigrants in Arlington by getting to know them, assisting them in their needs, and extending a general welcome to them until they feel they are “no longer strangers” in our community.

Our staff
Our staff consists of volunteer workers who want to show the love of God to immigrants by serving them in this way.

Registration
Registration is August 30th, 2010 for the Fall semester classes. During registration, students will be tested to see which level of class they should attend. The classes are free.  New students may enroll on any Monday evening.

Please note that we are not able to provide childcare.

Hours of Classes
There are five levels of classes offered.
Regular classes are held on Monday nights and Wednesday nights, starting at 7:00 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m.
Students are encouraged to purchase a textbook totaling $15 (but this is not a requirement)

Classes are small in size and emphasize the following four skill areas: Conversation (listening/speaking) reading, writing and grammar

Calendar of Classes
Classes run from early September through the end of November for the Fall session, with a break for the month of December. Spring classes are offered beginning in early January and ending at the end of May.

Class Levels

Intro level - for beginning students who have no experience with the English Language

Level 1 - for beginning students who already have knowledge of the English Alphabet, Numbers and have basic communication skills

Level 2 - for advanced beginners

Level 3 - a low intermediate level class for students who hope to improve their grammar and their listening and speaking skills

Level 4 - an intermediate conversation and pronunciation course for students who desire to communicate better in English

Citizenship - a preparatory course for immigrants who are planning to apply for US citizenship.  This course will help students prepare for the exam, and for the oral questions and interview process. 

Our Students
We offer English classes to students from any country who speak any language. The students enrolled this semester come from Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Brazil, Bosnia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Cuba, Argentina, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Mexico.

Some topics students will learn about in our classes are: Introducing Yourself Getting Around Town Housing Food Using English at Work Health How to deal with Emergencies Recreation Shopping Friends and Neighbors Telephone conversations Finances / Money Community Rules and Regulations School Family Strategies for Smooth (Polite) Communication Idioms Giving Information School Rules and Regulations Rights and Responsibilities How to Agree and Disagree Politely How to Interrupt Politely How to Express Opinions Politely (And More!)