Keeping Sane During COVID

For more than two years, I’ve stayed close to my home, in Washington, DC. In fact like many, you might say I'm cocooning. 

No impromptu visits with friends. No dinner parties. No crowded restaurants. No human contact except from behind a mask while peering into eyes of others at the supermarket. You never know where COVID might be lurking.  I'm trying to live a sanitized and vaccinated life.

I think going digital is keeping me sane. 

My passion for teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) has beamed me into a new online world. 

I've become digital with Zoom.

Of course there is a learning curve. I had never used Zoom and now I’m about to use it for teaching.

First I had to teach myself so I went to “Google University.” That’s my name for the plethora of information delivered via text and videos online. Since I’m mostly a self taught ESL teacher, I’m accustomed to learning new skills on line. 

Before too long I’m creating break-out rooms, projecting videos, using online games, sharing my whiteboard and testing students via a chat box. That’s kind of good for an older guy like me if I do say so myself.

Oh sure, I make plenty of mistakes getting lost on the various levels of the software. Several times, I click on the wrong icon and end a Zoom meeting abruptly. Fortunately, my students know enough to rejoin.

I try to celebrate mistakes in class. I tell my students, mistakes are the doorway to more learning. 

My first group of Zoom students motivate me. Thank you Dzung, Ahn, Fang, Mahmoud, Jehan, Abid, Quinquin, for your patience and encouragement. We discovered that Zoom English and friendship can connect us beyond national boundaries. It’s a wonderful blessing during this age of COVID.

Sunset on Lake Chapala, Mexico

Since October I have been teaching ESL in Mexico. This time it’s in person! One of my classes has 8 students from the local Technical School (like a community college). In order to graduate, they need to pass an intermediate level test and give a speech in English.

I’ve been promoting the idea of becoming Self Guided Learners. Instead of a teacher, I introduce myself as a Coach. I explain, “Just like a coach, I can help you learn to play the game. And our game is English.” I supply curated links on the Internet and show them how to maximize practice time.

I found a great video that set in motion a lot of quality practice. It’s called JAM or “Just A Minute.” Students select a random topic – travel, friendships, favorite foods or whatever. If they get stuck for a new topic, they ask Google to produce “topics for conversations.” After all, they are becoming Self Directed Learners.

Then with no preparation, they set a timer for 60 seconds and start talking without pausing. The genius of this activity is that it forces a learner to stop mentally translating and start using English to think. Sure it’s hard to stretch the mind in this way, but thinking in English is an important step towards fluency.

Recently, I started a new project. It emerged during a Zoom conference about refugees with Unitarian Church leaders.

Many Afghan refugees are coming into the Washington, DC area. Typically, the men know some English since they worked with Americans in Afghanistan. 

But the woman do not. They stayed at home and now are in a strange land with an even stranger language.

Of course when they heard of my ESL experience, they wanted to set up tutoring sessions. I soon realized that one on one tutoring or even a class was not a sustainable solution given the numbers. 

 I got to thinking how do people learn a new language?

Often they hope for magic. If only we have a class or a tutor….they say to themselves...we’ll understand. But in reality, there is no magic, rather it’s a slow steady process that relies more on their own practice, patience and perseverance.

That’s when I decided to produce a guide. It’s entitled Yes, You Can Learn English. I began sharing it with churches and agencies. My hope is that refugees and new immigrants will be empowered to become Self Guided Learners. 

If you would like a copy to share with others, email me and request “Yes, You Can Learn English.” My only request is that you share it freely.

During these COVID years, I’ve learned that we can in fact turn lemons into lemonade. We pause and assess the situation. We see where there are still needs and discover ways to help. We risk making mistakes and learn a few new skills. Along the way we find unexpected friendships. 

 I think we’re not only keeping sane, but we’re finding ways to thrive.