New English Schedule Encourages Progress and Participation

Students in Enlace Project's intermediate class, a full classroom!

Enlace Project's English School is working to meet the growing needs of a range of English students. As more students pass from the beginner's class, the advanced students have been divided into two groups. Formerly, students who passed their level one exam would move to the advanced class, which covered levels two through six, and was taught in English by a native speaker.

The new intermediate and advanced classes are both taught completely in English, but aim to focus more on the specific needs of students. The intermediate class covers levels two and three and focuses on conversation, pronunciation, and major grammar tenses; the advanced class focuses on more advanced and professional skills such as reading, writing, and syntax.

The goal of teaching English at Enlace Project is to help Sauceños develop a skill that they can use in job seeking as well as in their personal lives. When the program started five years ago, there was a huge desire in El Sauce for a convenient and affordable English class. The low price (an equivalent of $6/month) and class schedule (at night, so that those who work can study) allows for a variety of students to enter and participate in the class.

Luzvelia Sevilla, from the advanced class, teaching students from the
intermediate class.

The new class schedule hopes to appeal to all the students, allowing for a more specialized curriculum. Students study at their own pace through a series of books and arrive to the class for practice, review, and activities. Those who have just passed from first level to the intermediate class will find the activities more difficult, but easy to adjust to; the same applies for those who pass from the intermediate to the advanced class.

The most advanced members of the class are aiming high; all of the students in the new advanced class (and a few in the intermediate) have found jobs that require knowledge of the English language. The new classes give these students motivation to continue advancing and encouraging others to do the same.

Other events such as cultural celebrations, held twice a year to give the students a chance to use their English in the form of skits and songs, encourage students to have fun while learning. Students in the advanced class are also given the opportunity to prepare a lesson for the intermediate students, designing materials and activities to teach. By doing so, they are given the chance to develop professional skills that could serve them in their search for employment. As the advance class develops, students will also have the opportunity to develop additional skills, such as translation and interpretation.

--Written by Sean Conner, Enlace Project Intern

Students from Enlace Project English school perform a skit about Nicaraguan culture for
friends, families, and guests from SUNY Geneseo's Service Learning Program.