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Obstacles to Opportunities

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English as a Second Language (ESL) Ministries face a myriad of challenges: quality volunteer acquisition, training and retention, program funding, student participation and growth – to say nothing of lasting spiritual fruit. Often ESL ministry directors start off with little more than a heart for the Lord and their community, a handful of classes, and some teaching experience. However, growing and maintaining a successful ministry requires a broader skill set than most leaders receive. Similarly, many teachers in ESL ministries need additional training and support to facilitate the kind of English growth students hope for and spiritual fruit a sponsoring organization or church desires. Even teachers who have earned their TESOL Certificate benefit greatly from continuing education opportunities. TESOL Ministry was established to help ESL ministries, program directors and teachers overcome obstacles and embrace opportunities. Using technological tools and the skills many have been forced to acquire because of the pandemic, we are connecting our community in a new and exciting way to provide resources, networking opportunities, materials sharing, training, and exchange of ideas. In addition to connecting the ESL ministry community, we will provide information on an ongoing basis from experts and professionals in various fields to help you tackle the different types of challenges you face: whether you are leading an ESL ministry or helping a neighbor learn English. Welcome to TESOL Ministry!

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About The Author

Shannon Mann is passionate about helping people learn to follow Jesus and mature in their faith. She has a M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and is currently an adjunct instructor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary/The College at Southeastern and Durham Technical Community College. In addition to teaching, she has worked in a variety of fields including business consulting, information technology, online marketing, website development, and quality assurance. She has over 7 years experience teaching university courses both in-person and online in the US and overseas. Classes she has taught include: ESL, Intercultural Communication, Linguistics, and TESL Internship.