by Kelly Rogge, KCKCC
Students in Kansas City Kansas Community College’s English for Speakers of Other Languages program celebrated the end of a journey earlier this month with its annual Graduation and Recognition of Success event.
“We celebrate a cycle because we are coming to the end of the year,” said Elizabeth Holloway, ESOL coordinator at KCKCC. “With these cycles are beginnings and ends. You finish high school, you begin college. You start ESOL classes, you finish them, and you begin college classes. We go through cycles. We all have life cycles and events in which we celebrate.”
In addition to recognizing 10 students who completed ESOL coursework in spring 2016, an additional 20 students were recognized for completing at least one of KCKCC’s Level 4 ESOL classes. The recognition ceremony was preceded by a social hour for families, ESOL staff members and KCKCC guests. ESOL alum Iman Al-Nuami also spoke during the May 17 ceremony. Al-Nuami is a refugee from Iraq who completed her ESOL classes in December 2014. She was a professor of mathematics in her home country and is now enrolled in KCKCC’s Secondary Education Program.
The goal of the ESOL program is to help students improve their English skills to enable them to succeed in attaining college degrees or completing career programs.
There are four levels in KCKCC’s program. Students are placed into levels according to proficiency and continue taking ESOL until ready to move into their academic classes. The program includes reading, listening and speaking, writing and grammar and vocabulary. During the first two semesters, students focus on language fundamentals and only take ESOL classes. Beginning in the third semester, schedules are more individualized, depending on the student’s fluency. Students who are able are given the option of taking classes outside the ESOL program.
“Many of our students are refugees or immigrants from war-torn or impoverished parts of the world,” Holloway said. “They know that learning English is the key to success in this country. We are proud to be part of helping students achieve their goals.”
For more information on the ESOL program, to enroll or to make an appointment, call 913-288-7625 or 913-288-7380. Students can also stop by the ESOL Office, Room 3415, during normal office hours.
Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at KCKCC.