ELI Newsletter Volume 3

End of the ELI Spring Semester

The ELI spring semester is now winding down. Each student who has successfully completed their program will receive a certificate of completion, and one student in each class will receive a Special Recognition Award to acknowledge their outstanding academic excellence. It is a time to celebrate and reflect on the semester, learning, teaching, challenges, and successes. ‘You Did It!” brownies made by the ELI Instructor Malina Del Vino for her Level 1 and 2 students in Ossining to celebrate their accomplishments this semester.It was wonderful to see how much the students’ language skills had progressed in just a few months, how much they had enjoyed the class, and how happy they were to celebrate their achievements with Malina. Well done, all. We aso want to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of the ELI faculty. They put in many hours of planning, teaching, and grading throughout each semester. It is important to say a big thank you. Now, onto the summer!

My First Semester Teaching at the ELI by Barb Kopeloff

Barb graduated from the TESOL program in the fall of 2024. She was immediately hired by the ELI. These are her reflections on her first semester.

What made you want to teach English?

I learned English as a second language when my parents immigrated to the U.S. from Argentina. As a six-year-old, I absorbed the language from Sesame Street and my classmates and then functioned as a translator for my parents until they caught up with me a few years later. I wanted to learn English for both my parents and me. Now, I want to help others and teach English.

What did you do previously? 

Before teaching ESL, I wrote advertising copy. I even wrote an ad campaign for my most beloved English teacher, Sesame Street. Writing ad copy is fun but very solitary. I also didn’t feel like what I wrote about truly helped that many people. I started teaching ESL to be of service to new English speakers.

What have been some challenges that you have faced?

• Shyness. Initially, my biggest teaching nightmare was getting up in front of a new class. However, during my TESOL certification, I was given a great pro tip: Focus on the students and their needs, and you will forget yourself. Once a good rapport is built in the classroom, it feels like you are hanging out with your extended family. 

• Another challenge is how time-consuming lesson planning can be. Many teachers say this gets easier and faster with experience.

• The timing of activities can also be tough to gauge and depends on how interested the students are. Things that I thought would be fascinating have fallen flat, and things I thought would be just quick and straightforward have been huge hits.

• Detecting comprehension in adults is also trickier than I thought it would be. So many of my students smile and seem confident about certain grammar points, but when I dig deeper with comprehension questions or an assessment. Being an adult means being more inhibited about making it clear that you understand something.

• Learning names! I now write each student’s name on a notecard.

Is it what you expected?

It is much harder, more rewarding, and more fun than expected! The improvised conversations that emerge from the more open-ended questions are fascinating. My students are adults with a lot of life experience, and empowering them to share that through storytelling in a new language is magical. So is watching the amount of progress they can make in as little as six weeks! There is never a dull moment, and my heart is full at the end of each class.

Congratulations!

On Thursday, May 1st, the college held the Academic Recognition Awards. The ELI got to acknowledge and celebrate three students for their academic excellence:

Karla Lisette Garcia Sanchez 

Karla has completed the English Language Institute’s program and, as an aspiring psychologist, plans to enroll at WCC to support children through mental health care. We are excited for the next stage in her career. 

Diogo Maranhao Paes de Lira 

Diogo has completed the English Language Insitute’sprogram. He now plans on studying law. We wish him all the best. 

Barbara Kopeloff, TESOL Program 

Barbara was awarded the Academic Excellence award for her work in the ELI’s TESOL (Teaching Engish to Speakers of Other Languages) Program. She currently teaches for the ELI and plans to take a master’s in TESOL. Good luck, Barb!

Additionally, Francesca Candido, a TESOL 2023 graduate, graduated with honors in the WCC class of 2024.