Empathy Drives RIC’s Transition to Online ESL Instruction

Photo: From left: Anna Burt meets her Advanced Listening and Speaking ESL students from her home office; ESL beginner students chat via Zoom.

“Our teachers are experts in face-to-face English instruction, and as a result of COVID-19 they have really had to stretch their limits to visualize how to conduct the lessons and activities that they do best online,” says Laura Faria-Tancinco, coordinator of Rhode Island College’s ESL Intensive Program and Project ExCEL (Excellence in College for English Learners).  

“I, myself, am struggling with this in the classes that I teach. But to be honest, we are well-trained actors. I think all teachers are. We put on a positive and confident face with our learners, we start moving forward, and our class follows,” she adds.   

The college’s transition to remote course delivery began on Monday, March 23, in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining social distancing. Of the 1,500 RIC courses migrating online, eight are intensive ESL courses, comprised of 117 students (the majority ages 25–60), led by eight teachers, 11 work study students and one coordinator within Professional Studies and Continuing Education division.

Since the migration, Anna Burt, who teaches Advanced Listening and Speaking in the ESL program, has been connecting with her students through their home computers or smartphones.
 
“I wanted to continue teaching face-to-face as much as I could, using a conferencing platform. So I created two surveys to elicit my students’ preferences and availability,” Burt says. 

After the students decided, Burt began delivering her classes using Remind App (similar to WhatsApp, but with more privacy for the teacher), which allows sharing audio, photos and documents. Burt is also using ZOOM for video conferencing, online meetings, chat and mobile collaboration, as well as Google tools (Google Slides and Google Docs). 

The transition to remote classes has been challenging for students like Pamela Del Carmen Cabrera-Vasquez and Romina Vaccarezza, both advanced ESL students. Language instruction is typically high-touch and dependent upon personal interaction, so the switch to remote learning has been an adjustment for those who have relied on the in-person interactions of the classroom. 

“I enjoy these online classes; it is not the same but it keeps us busy,” says Vaccarezza. “I am also doing another online course. It is good to improve my English learning and keep my mind active.”  

For students and instructors, “online classes can sometimes be hard because it is not the same as in the classroom,” believes Cabrera-Vasquez. “But, having teachers who care about our education and who are making an effort to teach each student is a gift.” 

Burt says that it is more difficult for some of her students because they are homeschooling their children during the day or still have to go to work, which creates additional stress and fear for their families. “We were off to a rocky start at first, but it seems that we are on the right track now. My students are doing their best to embrace this challenge,” she says. “I’m trying to be understanding, flexible and supportive of them and their situations. We are collaboratively coping with the circumstances.” 

Faria-Tancinco believes that the majority of students in the ESL Intensive Program are motivated, focused, goal-driven and determined to keep going to the end of the semester. “Our students are demonstrating amazing perseverance, but our teachers deserve golden apples too. To their credit, within two weeks, we all have transitioned to a functioning online ESL program,” she says. 

Burt’s recommendations to other educators are to keep it simple and use the tools that they and their students are familiar with, such as private Facebook groups or YouTube. 

“I don’t think there’s a right way to do the remote/distant/digital teaching and learning. But I do believe that there is a way that is right for you and your students. So take inventory, try out a few things, even if some don’t work at first; there will be one that does,” Burt suggests. 

Faria-Tancinco, believes that RIC students, faculty and staff have proven how capable they are. “This semester has presented circumstances that have added challenges to learning for everyone. However, for those who have chosen to continue, their response to online learning demonstrates how our students and faculty have great, untapped potential,” she reflects.

“We need to be safe and smart during this time. We need to be patient and supportive. We will get through this.”