A Journey of Understanding and the Power of ESL Education
Written by Dan Taylor, Partner Engagement Volunteer.
The Bible is full of verses that we study to help us get closer to God. We use them to remind ourselves of who God wants us to be, how to treat each other, and how to live in the world God has provided for us.
One of the ones you’ve probably heard a lot is Matthew 7:1. It says, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.” You might have memorized it in the King James version, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
If you try to “live” this verse, it can look like this- you meet a new person; at work, in your neighborhood, wherever, and you try not to look at their clothes or their car or any of the outside things we can see and judge easily.
And we hope that people will do the same to us. Ideally, we don’t want to be judged at all, but if we are going to be judged, we want it to be the best possible version of us. We want our hair to look right, our clothes to look nice, and we check to make sure there’s no spinach stuck in our teeth.
Those are little things, things that don’t really matter. But one of the ways we judge others quickly and severely is if they sound like they’re, “not from around here.” When someone has an accent, we immediately decide, “foreigner” and all kinds of judgements follow. It’s not fair, it’s not what God said to do in Matthew 7, but it’s really easy and it’s really common.
Sounding different distinguishes a stranger quickly and most of us are not graceful enough to not make some judgments. That’s why learning the local language is so important. Being able to get along, to succeed and even thrive in a new place is why ESL is so important.
My wife and I have worked in various ESL classes over the years and it’s one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever done. To see the “light go on” when someone gets an insight into how to communicate is a wonderful thing to witness. To explain why, “I went to the store” is better than, “I go to the store” is something all of us can do easily, but it means a lot to someone who is diligently trying to make this home.
We’ve made friends through ESL classes, and we’ve seen time and time again that the old saying is true, there’s so much more that unites us than separates us.
People are coming to Adelante literally from all over the world. By doing what God has already told us to do, not judging them, and helping them to be a little less judged, we bless them and receive a blessing as well.
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We are so excited for everything that is happening in our programs and we are grateful for all our volunteers who make everything possible. Would you consider partnering with us next trimester?
How can you help?
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