There are many things that we want our ESL students to know about their community, the United States, and the culture that they now live in. So many new “How do I…?” “Where can I find…?” “What is the best..?” If we think of the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”
What do the students want and need to know about their community? If they have lived there for a while, when they first arrived what did they want/need to know right away?
This activity can incorporate all levels and talents. Have the class work on a Community Guide for ESL students in (name of your program or class) 20xx-20xx.
Students can include local hospitals, clinics, physicians, dentists, schools, parks, libraries, bus schedules, grocery stores, restaurants (with reviews) and much more. The list of what would be included should be developed by the class. Pictures can be found on the internet, in old books or magazines or drawn by students. Students with computer skills could gather the information and put it into a Word document to be copied and shared by the class. If new things are found throughout the year they could be added to the list. Each year going forward the guide could be updated with changes in the community.
Tip from Chris Powers