Lee student volunteer teachers Marissa Hooven and Kayla Carlevato are shown here teaching an intermediate ESL class during earlier this year.
For the fifth year, Lee University’s Department of Language and Literature will offer free ESL classes to the community this fall through the English Language Center from Sept. 10-Nov. 19.
The English Language Center offers four levels of classes – Beginning I, Beginning II, Intermediate, and Advanced - so that students are able to focus their learning at the level where they need to improve.
Small class sizes facilitate individualized experiences for students, allowing instructors to address the unique challenges of each individual so that students have the opportunity to meet their personal goals. The one-on-one interactions afforded by this model help to develop the conversational skills of students.
The courses are led by student-instructors, all of whom are professionally trained in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages under the direction of Dr. Christopher Blake, assistant professor of TESOL and Linguistics at Lee and director of the English Language Center.
"It is such an honor to be able to offer these free ESL classes to the community,” said Dr. Blake. “This fall we are especially excited to offer the Beginning I class for true beginners so that we can start helping adults who have never before taken an English class."
Classes will take place on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Walker Memorial Building, Room 301. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 6-12 who attend with their parents.
For more information or to register, contact Dr. Blake at cblake@leeuniversity.edu or call 614-8223.