“Can I have thirty-five cents?”
A woman leaned over the table and began to count change in her heavy accent, “Five, ten, fifteen, twenty… thirty-four, thirty-five.”
Smiling, she pushed the small pile to the man who asked for the change. Shouts of joy burst forth from the other table members. Turning to her neighbor, she asked, “Can I have twelve cents?”
It was a Friday morning in English Conversation Club, and these refugees were counting American currency. They came from Russia, Venezuela, Sudan… However, they all had one thing in common: a desire to learn English.
“A couple of the students afterward were really excited,” said Katherine, a volunteer at World Relief. “Talking about how ‘oh I’m going to take this with me. I can finally figure out how to order coffee and give the right change.’”
For most of her life, Katherine had no idea how many immigrants were in Spokane. Her husband’s grandmother would tell her stories about teaching ESL, which planted a seed of interest in her heart.
When she entered Eastern Washington University, all of the sudden her classmates and neighbors were people from different countries. When she heard about the many struggles they went through, her heart was moved with compassion. “I wanted to help.”
Katherine saw an especially big need in regards to English language learning.
English language proficiency can be key to a refugee’s success in America. It affects everything from building relationships to job opportunities. It can even impact family dynamics, as younger family members learn new languages faster than the adults.
This makes English language learning essential for refugees who are resettling in the U.S. Although new arrivals are enrolled in English classes at Spokane Community College, it helps to have a space where students can practice with one another. That’s why English Conversation Club was formed.
“It’s just a great place to form connections, have conversations,” said Katherine.
Katherine began to teach English Conversation Club at the Education Center starting in January of 2024. She quickly discovered the lack of shared language with her students and began to utilize other forms of communication, such as facial expressions, body language and intonation.
“It was basically finding ways to simplify my thoughts and getting across exactly what I wanted to say.”
The curriculum focuses on building vocabulary and grammar while acting out real life scenarios – calling 911, ordering coffee, counting money, etc. The club even goes on field trips to coffee shops to practice ordering with a barista. The whole time, attendees are building cross-cultural relationships with one another.
“It’s meant to be a very low-stress environment. Take a risk, try things with the language. There’s no wrong way to learn.”
Katherine, ESL Teacher and World Relief Volunteer
For new learners, Katherine offers picture-based resources and scripts to help them practice. But when it comes to those with more experience, she encourages them to experiment with new vocabulary and sentence structures. In the evenings, Katherine works at Spokane Community College as an ESL teacher. Somehow, she never tires of teaching others the English language.
“For me, it’s not all about a career and making money… It’s about meeting the community where they are, and a lot of the community is here at World Relief!” The club is especially empowering for refugee women who have the opportunity to learn reading and writing for the first time, while breaking through the barriers of isolation.
“I really love this class,” said Crysta, a refugee from Venezuela. After arriving in Spokane this summer, she began to attend the club alongside her husband. They not only expand their vocabulary during club, they also talk with others from around the globe. “We are learning a lot.”
Katherine appreciates learning about the various perspectives her students bring to the class. “It’s really made my life fuller and shown me a lot of parts of life that I hadn’t really experienced before.”
She gets to know her students on a personal level and sees how hard they are working to fit into the fabric of Spokane. “The community coming into Spokane wants to be here and wants to be connected to their new home.”
Join English Conversation Club as a volunteer to get to know your new neighbors. Learn more about becoming a conversation partner today.
About the Author
Keri Bambock is the Communications Coordinator at World Relief Spokane. Her hobbies include sketching and painting. She likes riding her bike to the office and always gets the best parking spot.