Speak Easy
Newsletter from English as a Second Language and Immigrant Ministries
Fall 2020
New Format for Classes
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Due to the pandemic, ESLIM's programs offered online classes this fall. The format changed, but the commitment to improve English skills and welcome immigrants and other non-native English speakers remained strong. Now more than ever, English skills are critical.  
 
One unexpected benefit of online classes is that former students who returned to their home countries can participate, along with faraway friends of local students. One teacher wrote:
 
"My first Zoom classes have me walking on the ceiling. No technical glitches, wildly enthusiastic students, and participants Zooming in from Lima (Peru), Sofia (Bulgaria), and Antananarivo (Madagascar). It's one of the coolest things I've ever been involved with. Covid-19 quarantine reports from around the world!"

Thank you to ESLIM's students, volunteers, member churches, and donors. Together you make a difference in our community and beyond!
Welcome to Our Newest Member Program
ESLIM's newest member program is the Franconia Area Churches Cooperative for ESL at St. John's Lutheran Church, which has a long history of ESL ministry in Alexandria. FACC-ESL/St. John's offers daytime classes and evening classes, too.
Teaching Tip
We've all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. If you want to incorporate more images into your (virtual) classroom, check out these websites for free icons and photos: Noun Project, Unsplash, and Flaticon.
About ESLIM
We promote and support the teaching of English to adult immigrants of all nationalities in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia and welcome their active participation in our community.
To support the efforts of our member churches, ESLIM handles a variety of tasks in a centralized way. Its activities include the following:
  • Advertising for, placing, and training volunteer teachers
  • Advertising the English classes in foreign-language media
  • Maintaining a phone line for inquiries from prospective students and volunteers
  • Producing the Speak Easy e-newsletter two or three times per year
  • Maintaining a website that features the class schedule, a variety of resources for teachers, instructions for making donations, and information for churches considering an ESL ministry