ELI Newsletter Volume 1

Fall 2024

A few short weeks ago, the English Language Institute kicked off the fall 2024 semester. There are nearly 1600 adult English language learners and 100 teachers. Here are some ELI Saturday students excited to join in with a new initiative this fall: ELI clubs. Andrea Dos Santos, an ELI coordinator, has arranged the clubs, which include a drama club, a writing club, a reading club,a grammar club and a vocabulary club. In the photo, Ines Maria Abeijon, an ELI staff member, can be seen helping students decide which club would best suit their needs.

The clubs are part of an overarching initiative to help students stay motivated, keep learning, and reach for the next level of learning proficiency. Learning any language is not easy; it takes time and determination. It requires daily practice and a lot of resilience. The clubs foster all those things and ensure that the students find a way to help and enjoy themselves when learning. The Assistant Dean of the ELI is no stranger to language learning challenges. Originally from Argentina, Claudia Carco had learned English in her home country. She came here at the age of 18.

“When I first came to this country, I knew that I knew English, but I felt intimidated when speaking English with fluent speakers in social settings. I hit what is called the silent period. I knew English, but I was able to produce it. I eventually overcame this struggle, but now I am very empathetic towards the challenges that the students at the ELI face. Our new initiative is to provide as much support for our students as possible. We are offering clubs this semester and have created a new program called ESL +. A program run by volunteers to help students at the lower levels who are struggling to get to the next level of proficiency. Both ELI teachers and high-level language learners will help with this endeavor. Our aim is to ensure that everyone succeeds.”

We wish our students the best of luck and a lot of success this fall!