English Club

David's bday celebration at English Club.  Check out that candle!  I thought the sprinklers might come on, but thankfully we don't have those!

Hello Family and Friends,

This week, I want to share about the Nazarene Academy.  This is a separate association from SENDAS, but affiliated with SENDAS (the Seminary in San Jose).  This program is a continuing education program for the local communities.  Currently, the Academy holds classes in computer skills and English as Second Language classes.  A new Basic ESL class and a new computer course will start in April.  Just around the corner.

I have been super blessed to teach the English Club Class.  This class is for advanced intermediate to advanced level students of English.  The main objective of the class is to improve speaking skills in English.   Maybe you are thinking, well, if you have studied English for years, and if you can read it well, why can’t you speak.  Speaking is the last skill mastered as anyone learns a second language (unless you are talking about babies and children who learn differently!).   Also, did you know that pronunciation in English is very difficult?  In Spanish, the vowels have just one basic sound so that as I was learning Spanish, I could read many things even when I had no idea what it meant.  Not so in English.  You must hear and repeat word after word after word to pronounce correctly. 

So the class is like a round table discussion of different issues.  Right now we are talking about our families, learning the words and sayings related to the family (infant, toddler, adolescent, senior citizen, baby boom, to take after, to be named after…) and sharing about our families.  Plus, we talk about interesting issues related to the family like how families differ culture-to-culture, single parent families, divorce and custody issues, adoption, etc. 

Then we have about a half hour of something called Language Partners.  I bring in two or three native English to talk in small groups with the students.  This has been a BIG plus for the class since they get even more practice. 

The class is a 12 week class and we are now at week 8, and I can really see improvement in the students’ English.  They are a great group and I am so pleased to teach them every Thursday night.   

In other news, we are sad that the Faucett family is nearly done with their first 10 weeks of CALL Spanish study.  They will be leaving us later this week. 

They are volunteers who are learning Spanish to serve with us on the Mesoamerica Region in the future.  We are so excited to know they will be at General Assembly to help with the SENDAS booth.  They have studied very hard and learned so much in these 10 weeks and they have plans to return in the fall for more intense learning.  We are blessed to work with such great people!

Thanks for keeping up with us and for your prayers and support.  Maybe we will see you this summer as we make the rounds in the USA.

Shelley, David, Joshua and Kayley