Seton Hall Students Volunteer as Teacher Interns with Campus ESL Intensive English Program  

This spring semester, seven Seton Hall undergraduate and graduate students served as volunteer teacher interns with the campus ESL@SetonHall intensive English program. The ESL@SetonHall program provides coursework to adults who are developing their academic English. The volunteer interns joined the classes on a weekly basis to serve in multiple roles – such as group discussion facilitator, one-one tutor, and whole-class instructor. Collectively, the teacher interns made a positive contribution to student learning in the ESL courses this semester. Furthermore, in the individual connections they made with students attending the ESL program, the team of interns contributed to a campus community that is inclusive and welcoming for all.

Based on their schedule and availability, the seven volunteer interns were teamed up with individual ESL class sections. Interns then attended their assigned class section weekly in Jubilee Hall. Teacher interns committed in 3-4 week increments allowing them the flexibility to participate according to their personal availability. Interns and their hosting teachers recently shared these testimonials regarding the internship experience:

Marissa Todd, ESLP Teacher Intern and EDST Undergraduate Major
This past semester I have had the honor of working with Professor Marsha Philemon in her digital media class…She allowed me to teach lessons to the class, assist her with her own lessons, and have opportunities for one-on-one instruction; all of which enabled me to foster relationships with many of the ESL students. Marsha granted me the opportunity to develop a portfolio for students using Google Sites where they could upload all their projects to their own website to showcase their hard work throughout the semester…This is my second semester working with the ESL program and I look forward to many more.

Stephanie Montague, ESLP Instructor
It was amazing working with interns Prableen and Theresah this semester in our reading and writing course…The students and I benefited from having Prableen and Theresah with us, whether they were helping the students in small groups or one on one. The fact that they volunteered their time when they already have such busy schedules in their master's programs, confirms their dedication to helping and serving others.

Theresah Oduro, ESLP Teacher Intern and SDIR Graduate Student
Volunteering as an ESL teacher intern has been an excellent opportunity for me. I enjoyed my time serving as a teacher intern specifically because the students and Prof. Stephanie were very welcoming and friendly. In addition, the activities were exciting, which increased the students' participation level. I am glad I could help the students, which gives me joy.

Gail Vignola, ESLP Instructor and ENGL Coordinator of Second Language Writing
It was my good fortune to welcome Anya Seehusahai as an ESL intern this past semester in my Level 3 Reading/Writing class. From the beginning, she came to every class, helped with peer review and copy editing, told stories of her adventures and future plans and, because she is also bilingual, was able to empathize with some of the common struggles of being an international student…She spent a great deal of time working with our students, helping them learn the conventions of academic writing in English. She embraced this wholeheartedly and, by virtue of her kind personality and sense of humor, put students at ease—particularly helpful to those whose confidence level was low. This combination of linguistic talent, compassion, and personal responsibility made it a pleasure to work with Anya, and we wish her all the best as she graduates to new adventures!

The ESL@SetonHall teacher internship program brings together local and international students on campus to find shared points of mutual understanding and dialogue. Working together in the ESL classes, students help to reinforce a shared sense of community across campus that is inclusive and welcoming to all.

The ESL teacher intern program is open to all Seton Hall students, undergraduate and graduate. All majors are welcome. To participate in the next round of ESL teacher internships, please contact the ESL@SetonHall Program by email at [email protected]. Full information about the ESL@SetonHall intensive English program is available on the program landing page here.

Categories: Education