When traveling to a new country, a number of tasks can prove to be challenging, like adopting new customs and learning about a new culture. Perhaps one of the most difficult is mastering a new language. For many, learning a language comes after immigration, and English as a Second Language programs, or ESL, provide needed support to these individuals.
The Bryan Adult Learning Center, or BALC, is the largest adult education program in Brazos County and it provides ESL classes for qualifying individuals year-round with morning classes Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and night classes Mondays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m.
Ambyr Weidner, coordinator for the BALC, said classes are filled with students from diverse backgrounds.
“The ESL program serves anyone who would like to learn English and their first language wasn’t English,” Weidner said. “We have people from many different countries, where some languages are Spanish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese — just all different languages.”
While classes can vary from teacher to teacher, Weidner said the activities, typically done in groups, focus on writing, conversation, pronunciation and grammar. However, Weidner said language education goes beyond the classroom.
“Some people seem to think they’re just going to sit there with a book straight and the teacher is just going talk,” Weidner said. “But we do activities, we take field trips and everything — we take them to the library, the fire station, the grocery store because you learn vocabulary that way. We go to restaurant for dinner to practice silverware and practice ordering. I feel like it teaches daily life skills too.”
Education junior and BALC volunteer Paola Boitel said some students may be afraid to apply for ESL programs because of stigmas toward adult education.
“The older you get people believe you can’t learn languages, they think that you’re not able to retain knowledge because it’s not as easily done as when you’re younger,” Boitel said. “I think that’s a misconception, because at any age you can really learn.”
Mohamad Haziz, a student enrolled in BALC’s ESL program, said he’s been in the ESL program for more than a year and the classes have helped him significantly improve.
“Don’t be nervous because everyone in this school is friendly and helpful and they come from worldwide,” Haziz said. “You can improve your skills and learn many different things from many, many different places. If anyone needs to improve their English, join the school.”
Weidner said ESL differs from other forms of teaching because it can bring individuals together who may not have interacted otherwise and teaches everyone something new along the way.
“ESL is a really great way to bring in so many different cultures and help one united group engage in English,” Weidner said. “The students enjoy it. They’re all here for a certain reason. We talk about cultures too, like, ‘How do you celebrate birthdays in your country?’ It’s a good way to bring people together and see how things happen in different parts of the world.”
For more information about BALC or to reserve a spot on the BALC wait list, visit bryanalc.org.