ESL remains a touchstone for non-English non speaking students students' Connie S. S Burrup Staff Writer South City Campus THE English as a Second Language Department at has become a touchstone for those students who have traveled the hard road to English fluency A program geared primarily ly to non-native non speakers of English the ESL Department has been growing steadily at Salt Lake Community College for nearly a decade Coordinator of the ESL program for Dean Huber has been working on a writing program for his level- level four students this year He noted that initially the methods and lesson plans started with just the basics basics but have developed over the years changing to meet current current current cur cur- rent needs of the students The last few years have been focused on curriculum review to standardize lessons said instructor Penelope Wilkins A major aJor revision of the first three levels has just been completed she added Students of ESL may have been in America anywhere from two weeks to 14 years stated Wilkins They need to improve their English to get on with their lives and live here suc suc- They are all adults they dont don't want to o be seen as stupid or uninformed Language Language Language Lan Lan- guage is their only barrier Many are really highly educated educated educated edu edu- professionals in their own country We look at it as a a. a temporary handicap purely a language difficulty Our job is to teach them to get past that barrier We are defining new ideas in terms of old ideas that they are familiar with she said It is a difficult job but the rewards are great said HuberI Huber I enjoy my students I enjoy my job All of our instructors are native speakers however most of us have had experience experience experience ex ex- ex- ex living in another country Knowing the process of how a foreign language is learned is a big help he said We try to create an environment environment environment en en- that is totally relaxed A person learns better betterin in a positive atmosphere We try to make it fun then the information they need to know sneaks up on them and makes the learning less painful painful painful pain pain- ful smiled Huber All class instruction is taught completely in English There are sometimes as many manyas as 15 10 different language groups represented in a specific class dass added Wilkins Among the most complex issues for the teacher to face facein facein facein in a beginning dass class is the discovery discovery discovery dis dis- dis- dis covery of the social mores of a specific culture like what offends offends offends of of- fends certain students We Intentionally Intentionally intentionally in In- try to set up a multi cultural environment The students are generally very accepting of others others commented Wilkins According to Huber the students have difficulty at first with little things we take for granted In some som e cultures teachers are so respected that it would be wrong for students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents to address them by their first names visit their per per- offices or even ask questions Many have never neverseen neverseen neverseen seen a teacher sit on a desk We give exam examples pies and tell them about differences said Wilkins Huber said his students tell him that the Ut Utah h culture is very interesting People here are intensely and outwardly outwardly outwardly out out- friendly but It is very surface he said Many have told Huber that II Americans are cold One student commented commented commented com com- In our country we invite friends to our home to dinner Here they just appear to be friendly We try to help them with that Huber said At ESL L we try to bridge the gap by developing a positive relationship both in class dass and andIn andin andin in some social situations he added ESL activities have included included included in in- dinners and soccer games Huber said the ESL program program program pro pro- gram has started the groundwork for a great greater r role in the community We have big goals for the future expanding expanding expanding ex ex- and getting more students involved and helping helping helping help help- ing to diversify the Institution institution tion he said Huber would like to establish establish establish lish an institution to study ESL on short term basis for academia vocational career development and workplace improvement The world is getting smaller day be day Our students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents can contribute to the college what they know about the rest of the students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents add a lot to Salt Lake Community College I r I learn J 1 s J y i 1 eli 3 f oj i J I t T t Y N rT w wi i b i iH J Dean Huber assistant professor of English as a Second Language teaches at South City Campus