Arzu moved to Lancaster with her husband and two sons from Turkey in August 2019. She was amazed by life here: “It is not very crowded, so I like living here. Also, the weather is similar to Turkey; a lot of rain and there are a lot of trees.” Her biggest adjustment has been getting used to the speed of life, but she has met people who are very friendly and helpful. Arzu thinks that living in the U.S. will give her “bigger opportunities for a better life, especially a better future for my children’s education.” 

Liliana is a current student in IU13 Community Education’s ESL level 1 class at Brightside Opportunities Center. Liliana arrived from Medellin, Colombia in December 2019 to be close to her new husband and his family. 

Liliana’s first impression of the U.S. was that it is a big and beautiful country.  She thinks the houses are beautiful, the city is clean, and the drivers respect pedestrians when crossing the street. She was very surprised to see so many differences between living here and in Colombia, explaining, “It is very, very different. In Colombia close neighbors, motorcycles, lots of dogs barking, very noisy. Not here… I like the quiet neighborhood and friendly people.” 

ESL students and teachers from different classes come together once a week to practice conversation, relax, and just have fun! Level 1 teacher Silvia tells us more about the club,  “Conversation club is a time for us to connect, see each other, and practice English while schools are closed. The pandemic has reduced the time students get to spend with each other practicing English, so we started the club after getting requests from students for more informal practice. The students lead the club and the

IU13 ESL classes are continuing online during the COVID-19 pandemic! Students use USALearns, Zoom, and WhatsApp to study English and connect with classmates and teachers.

If you are looking for other ways to practice English, check out the Brightside ESL teachers’ favorite online resources listed below!