On Monday nights at Grace Care Center, classrooms fill with the sounds of learning. It’s on these evenings that English Class takes place, providing Care Center Friends with a unique opportunity for growth.
For students, each class is about more than learning a new language. It’s about gaining confidence and breaking barriers.
We recently caught up with several English Class volunteers – including Cheri Davis, who helped launch the program 11 years ago – to discover more about the impact this program has on our neighbors.
More About English Class at Grace Care Center
More than a decade ago, Cheri approached a pastor at Grace Church with an idea – holding accessible English Classes for people in our community. Shortly after, two women requested interpretation services for a church service, further showcasing a need for this type of support.
Not long after that, the first English Class was held.
The program began with 25 students. Now, 11 years later, 171 students are enrolled.
The English Class program consists of five classes: Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and Conversations. Each class has a lead teacher, a backup teacher, and conversation coaches – all volunteers.
Students progress through each class as they are able. They start Level 1 with the basics of spelling their name, move into Level 2 with adjectives, nouns, and sentences, and continue on to learn about hyperboles, puns, and social norms in Conversations.
“My favorite thing is the Friends who return, grow, and build on what you taught,” one teacher shared. “You say a joke and they know what it means!”
Teachers aim to keep lessons both timely and realistic – students don’t just learn a set of vocabulary and grammar rules.
For example, classes focused on describing fall scenes during the last week of October. They also practiced adjectives by describing animals.
As a result, students are engaged, ask a lot of questions, and thoughtfully consider class material.
Another teacher said, “It’s so much fun teaching people who really want to learn! It's fun to see when the lightbulbs start to go off.”
And the best part?
These English Classes are open to anyone – no matter their background, where they are from, or their current knowledge of the English language.
As one teacher said, “We have an open door for everyone. Nobody judges you, you can be yourself.”
Why Learning English Matters
But why is English Class so important?
For one, learning English certainly makes life easier here in the U.S. Having a solid understanding of the English language makes something as seemingly simple as grocery shopping more accessible.
As Cheri says, “It’s life for people in this country. The most needed commodity.”
But even beyond the English words, English Class at Grace Care Center focuses on creating real change for our students. Not only are they learning a language, but they are also provided with the tools they need to use it confidently in everyday life.
This opens doors for Care Center Friends, leading to improved education and job opportunities. It also can help students more easily form friendships, converse with their child’s teacher, or better understand doctors and other professionals.
Learning English empowers Care Center Friends to break barriers, build stability, and create life-long changes for themselves and their families.
