God began calling St. Peter's UMC to offer English as a Second Language(ESL)
in January, 2004. From January to September God put in place students who
were eager to learn English, curriculum provided by Cape May County Technical
School, lead teachers, and many enthusiastic volunteers willing to give count-
less hours to help the students learn English. The first formal class was offered
in October, 2004. Classes were offered Tuesday and Thursday nights and
Wednesday mornings. With over 100 students participating in the program for
the first two years, the ESL team is excited to start their third year with the
classes running from the Tuesday after Columbus Day to the beginning of May
and ending with a "Cinco de Mayo" graduation celebration.
ESL is called English as a "Second" Language because it is the second language
that most of the students are acquiring. Their native language is their first
language.
The classes are open to speakers of any language. The majority of our students
speak Spanish;however, several students have come from Eastern Europe and
Brazil. Teachers and volunteers do not need to know the native language of the
students they are helping. ESL is taught in a manner that the students learn
English through an experience as opposed to learning through translation. This
is the same way infants acquire the ability to speak.