FBC Pine Castle was one of the first churches to begin using Tried and True ESL Lessons in the Fall of 2016. They used Level 1 Beginner, and Level 2 High Beginner.
Students loved the lesson on ordering at the Deli. One teacher had gone to a supermarket deli just before class and bought the items that were to be introduced in the vocabulary including roast beef and cheese in thick and thin slices. So in addition to the photographs in Tried and True ESL Lessons, the teacher had the actual food items in the classroom as illustrations. Students read the labels and weighed the items on a kitchen scale and learned the difference between thick slices and thin slices. After using the deli items to teach the vocabulary, out came the crackers and Hawaiian rolls and students got to literally ‘eat their words!’
A few months later, Pine Castle ministry director, Louise French, made ESL real again. After teaching the lesson titled, Staying Well, to her high beginners from Level 2, Book A, Louise brought in homemade chicken soup in a crock pot. As students arrived to class, she greeted them with a cup of the homemade goodness. It was served along with hot tea and lemon, which is one of the remedies suggested for a cold in the Staying Well lesson.
Tried and True being used at FBC Pine Castle, Florida
In addition to teaching, Louise also wears the director hat. When she asked her teachers and students how they liked Tried and True ESL Lessons, she got loads of favorable feedback.
Teachers liked the concise format designed specifically for the needs of the faith-based ESL program packed with practical content that doesn’t overwhelm either the volunteer teacher or student with excess material. Teachers also appreciated the larger print format of Tried and True ESL Lessons. The unanimous result was, “We want to continue!”
Louise and her teachers reach out to their students in friendship in many ways. Here’s two practical ways they are making ESL real:
1. Reading Glasses. Every time Louise goes to the local dollar store, she picks up a couple of pairs of reading glasses. She has a basket full of glasses available to students who may need a little help to see their books or the board more clearly.
2. Prayer Partners. Students are given an opportunity to have one person pray for them every day during the semester. Louise has solicited prayer partners from her church members who commit to pray for three months for one student. Louise prayerfully matches each ESL student with a willing volunteer from the church. They have a special meeting time at the beginning of the semester where prayers meet the students for whom they will be praying.
So, that’s just a few of the practical ways First Baptist Church of Pine Castle, Florida, has been making ESL real for their students since 1985. May they have many more years of fruitful ESL classes.