Our English Language Learners (ELL), ages 18 and up,  come from all over the world and represent a wide variety of cultural, social, and economic backgrounds. The educational levels of our English Language Learners vary greatly.

Some of our learners have lived in our community for years, others are recent immigrants who have come for economic reasons, and still others are refugees fleeing civil wars or persecution. All of our English Language Learners seek to improve their English fluency (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in order to achieve their goals as individuals, family members, workers, and citizens.

Staff members conduct intake interviews and assessments and then match these learners with appropriate tutors. Small group classes and conversation groups are also available to supplement individual tutoring sessions or as a successful alternative to one-to-one tutoring.

Conversation Groups

ELL conversation groups are held in local libraries, churches, or other community spaces. These groups are led by experienced tutors, and they typically include adults from a variety of nations and ethnicities. Each group generates its own conversation topics and attempts to help learners gain practical knowledge and fluency in basic English, survival skills, American culture, health literacy, and family and workplace literacy.