ESL classes at SRHS

ESL classes at SRHS
BY KEN WALTER Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH — Shore Regional High School will hold an eight-week class for adults seeking to improve their ability to speak English.

The class is being taught by SRHS World Language teacher Alice Ennis Simonson and will serve people from the sending communities of Monmouth Beach, Oceanport, Sea Bright, and West Long Branch.

The eight-week class began on WednesdayApril 1 and continues every Wednesday evening from 7:30 pm-9 p.m. The class is free to all those who live in the listed communities and are 18 and older.

The mission of Simonson's class is to "provide instruction which offers non-native speakers an opportunity to acquire an increased communicative competence in conversational English necessary to meet professional, social and/or personal goals," according to a press release from the school.

"We believe it will help us to connect with the parents of some of our ELL [English Language Learners] students as well as others in the ELL population," Simonson said.

Simonson said that as of Monday there were only three people enrolled in the class, but she is hopeful enrollment will increase.

"I expect to have the parents and other adult family members of our current ELL students," she added.

Teaching adults may be different for Simonson, but it is something she has a history doing.

"Well, it is certainly different," she said. "I taught ESL [English as a Second Language] at Brookdale [Community College] where my students were adults of various ages."

And while there is not one set language that the students speak, Simonson welcomes people who are native speakers of all languages.

"As many as possible [languages]," Simonson said. "The more the merrier and the richer and the more diverse our class will be!"

Students should expect a hands-on approach to the class.

"I hope to make the class very practical and hands on ... with lots of real life scenarios to practice and from which to learn," Simonson said. "I will also have some assistance from a few international baccalaureate students who will volunteer their time to help."

Simonson expects the class to help people build proficiency in the English language.

"We plan to sculpt the class around the needs and desires of the students that enroll," Simonson. "Overall I would hope that everyone comes away with a greater confidence in communicating in English."

Contact Ken Walter at kwalter@gmnews.com