English Language Instruction

Our English classes meet a variety of language needs and are offered to refugees who have been in the US for up to 5 years. Refugee participants need not have been resettled by LSG.

Some classes are designed for those who do not speak a single word of English. Other classes are offered to those who speak limited English but need assistance with specialized vocabularies. To assist refugees to become financially independent, our most frequent offering is “English for the Workplace.”

Class curriculums aim to bring refugees’ English to a level that permits effective communication through speaking, reading, and writing. Instructional elements include:

• Evaluation of English proficiency: Includes assessment of a participant’s comprehension of verbal and written English.

•  Instruction Plan Development: Insures placement of participants in appropriate classes.

•  Service Administration: A case record is maintained for each participant in which all service elements are documented, including progress notes, attendance records, and recommendations for alternative instruction.

•  Child-care may be provided as appropriate.

•  Transportation assistance may be provided as appropriate.

English language classes are taught at times and places that meet the needs of the refugee group(s) currently being resettled. Classes may be taught at apartment complexes where we resettle our refugees, at workplaces that employ our refugees, and at other central locations. The classes are offered at times that mesh with refugees’ family and work schedules, such as morning classes for those who work second shift and evening classes for those who work day shift.

At various times depending on need, classes may include adult basic education to prepare students to enroll in GED courses and “Test of English as a Foreign Language” TOEFL classes for advanced students preparing for licensing or certification. A special computer-assisted English language instruction packet is used with refugees who cannot read, even in their native languages.