VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Over the last couple of years, the number of students in Volusia County that have English as their second language has risen to around 4,200 students and it continues to grow. To address that need, the school district has in place the English for Speakers of Other Languages Program, also known as ESOL.
Volusia County Schools have 40 ESOL teachers and 46 ESOL paraprofessionals to help students achieve English proficiency and academic success.
ESOL teacher Ms. Vanessa Lopez-Muniz helps students of all grade levels, and from different countries, gain English proficiency in her class. “I wanted to find a way to help others that were possibly going through the same experiences that I have been through. And I found an opportunity in teaching,” she said.
She understands first-hand the challenge of learning a new language. “I can totally relate to them. English is my second language as well.”
Lopez has been teaching at Orange City Elementary for eight years. “I consider myself a bridge.” A bridge not only to the English language but also to learning the U.S. culture.
Orange City Elementary School has 41 students enrolled in their ESOL program. “I try to give them a little bit of ease and confidence so that they can show who they are,” she said.
She believes teaching students English is a team effort between parents, teachers, and school staff. “It takes a lot of people, commitment and active involvement of all the parties involved to make these students succeed.”
The goal of the program is to facilitate English language acquisition by listening, speaking, reading, and writing to ensure academic success.
Lopez works with a group of five students who are in third grade. Today she is teaching them about finding the central idea while learning about animals. “And they are all third graders from different levels of English proficiency, and it’s a big step for them. Third grade is a big step.”
Lopez has been working with some of her students since they were in kindergarten. She has seen the progress they’ve made from when they first learned their letters to now. “Creating sentences, being able to read. It’s really fulfilling to see how much they’ve grown,” she said.
Volusia County Schools have 2,153 enrolled English Language Learners at the elementary level, where students receive content instruction and support from ESOL teachers and ESOL paraprofessionals.
“I think it’s all about relationships. I think I get to know not only what they do academically but knowing the student as a person. Sometimes, you know, we spend so much time together. I have great communication with the parents and we’re just part of each other’s lives, really,” she said.
As a proud teacher, Lopez has high hopes for her students and reminds them that no matter where they come from, they can do anything they set their minds to. “I hope that they can see it’s possible to become proficient in English and not only English, I hope they learn to love languages.”
The school district also recognizes the need for parents to be able to communicate with their child’s school personnel, at work, and in the community. Schools also hold ESOL classes at various locations throughout the district in order to help ESOL parents develop communication skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Orange City Elementary School will be having their schoolwide Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Oct. 12 & 13. The school will come together to learn about Latin American countries and celebrate the roles that Hispanics played in the communities throughout American history.