Teachers Testimonials

It was such a pleasure to have Jieun in class! Jieun was in my Speaking & Structure Practice class. She was a little shy at first, but then opened up and made new friends from many different countries! We learned new vocabulary and grammatical structures that helped her describe her country and customs. She told us about the traditions connected to Chuseok. Jieun was a very diligent student. She was always prepared and wasn't afraid to ask questions. She touched my heart when she brought me (and her classmates!) beautiful, hand-written letters in which she thanked us and wrote impressive personal comments. I'll miss her a lot!

Dabin was a strong, hard-working student. He was always in an excellent mood, his homework was done, and he often did more than was expected! He also showed a great sense of humor and joked a lot with his classmates and teachers! Since Dabin is a very open and welcoming person, he made friends easily. It was a real pleasure to watch him interact with his new friends! We played games online (Kahoot!) and prepared little skits where he was able to use his newly acquired vocabulary. I really wish he was able to stay longer!

At first, Jieun was like any other shy student. She arrived for class early, was prepared and ready to learn when class began, and she would take notes to help her with her vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation. At ESL, you learn English while also learning about yourself, your culture and different cultures from around the world. In each classroom, there may be students from many different countries all learning together (in our class there were six). Jieun began the session slowly, speaking cautiously, and then usually only because she was spoken to first. By the third week, it was evident that she had made friends with all the different nationalities represented in our classroom! She was growing in confidence and was doing the most important thing to do while learning a language: showing that she wasn't afraid to make mistakes! Quickly, we learned that she is not just another shy student. We found out that she loves baseball, she is fun and inquisitive, she is insightful and kind, with a great sense of humor. We were very lucky to have her with us for the time that we did!

Here at ESL we want our students to have the full experience of living and studying in a new culture. Dabin took full advantage of his new city! He celebrated his birthday by trying out a new restaurant, and he was able to catch a double-header to see his favorite baseball player from South Korea play in person. As a Clevelander, it’s always fun to see students experience my hometown through new eyes. Dabin’s cheerful disposition helped him connect with classmates in our grammar class with ease. We encourage our students to share their cultures and experiences, and Dabin was always willing to talk to us about his family and even taught us about some Korean customs. I thoroughly enjoyed having Dabin in class and we will certainly miss him here at ESL.