Welcome To ESOL Associates of Rochester, NY
Namaste! ¡Buenos días! Ni hau ma? Is English your second language? Let us help you improve your English speaking, reading, writing, and literacy. We serve adults and young folks in the Rochester area.
Maplewood Library ESL Program
Classes meet every Saturday morning from 10 a.m. - 12 noon at the Maplewood Library, 1111 Dewey Ave., Rochester, NY. (585) 428-8220. MAP
A typical class has 15-20 students and is led by 2-3 experienced teachers. Some students come regularly each week. Others attend a few times and are helped with other resources to move forward.
All classes are free of charge. New students are welcome and do not need to register in advance. Classes focus on speaking English in daily life. Although the class is oriented toward moving adults quickly into mainstream America, supervised children and motivated teenagers with beginning language skills are welcome and do well in class.
The traditional Sanskrit greeting, Namaste, includes putting the hands together as a sign of respect and welcome. It is one of many greetings in the many languages spoken by our students. We welcome new students and we welcome you!
History
The Maplewood Library ESL program has met every Saturday since June 2008. Over 75 students, including refugees and immigrants from Burma, Nepal, Burundi, Somalia, the Sudan, Brazzaville, Cuba, Russia, and China have attended. Students of all nationalities, religions, cultures, ages, and genders are welcome.
ESOL Associates of Rochester is an independent not-for-profit organization supported and directed by its members. The roots of the association date to 2005, when some members met and expressed a desire to reach out to the community with free English as a Second Language resources that go beyond one-on-one contacts or tutoring, without regard to religion, nationality, or background. The simple goal of wanting to communicate in English has blossomed.
ESOL is an acronymn for English for Speakers of Other Languages. It also stands for English as a Second Original Language or English as a Second Language--sometimes abbreviated as ESL.
ESOL Associates of Rochester and the Maplewood Library ESL program are proud to be part of the Rochester Literacy Movement.
Learn English
Our trained teachers work in small class settings to increase comprehension, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, the alphabet, and communication skills. We teach by focusing on daily activities, such as
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Classes focus on providing an opportunity for students to improve literacy through topics like weather, shopping, handling money, American culture, international foods and customs, games, singing, current news, holidays, economics, and voting. Each week students are encouraged to speak in English in both the class and in small groups. Looking at maps and the globe to see where students live now and where they came from is a popular activity. Pronunciation, spoken grammar, writing, and reading are addressed in the class and are also individualized. Students are offered guidance for other community resources, as well as some counseling about educational opportunities and places to get an individual tutor.
Become an Associate
We welcome new volunteers, teachers, and tutors. Our volunteer teachers have college or advanced degrees from accredited schools, and a strong commitment to furthering the experience of immigrants to the United States.
Every week the teachers are also delighted to learn from the students. We sing, laugh, play Monopoly, share cultures, and talk about everything from holidays--such as Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving, or holidays specific to our students--to natural or social disasters such as earthquakes, floods, or economic hardships and how to move forward.
New teachers train in small classroom settings with experienced teachers and tutors, helping teach English to speakers of other languages. We are proud of the dedicated contributions of our teachers to the local community. Join us, and change someone's life for the better!
Please feel free to contact us if your group offers related services about which you would like us to know. We are happy to learn about other services and to guide students appropriately toward additional community services. Local college courses in English, local not-for-profit classes or tutoring, and local religious group classes or individual tutoring are all welcome and are often recommended to our students.
Contact Us
Contact us today at lauren@livingonweekends.com.