Summer Idea:
Get Your Church Reading! |
Your ESL program might break for the summer, but that doesn't mean that learning stops! Encourage your ESL students, as well as volunteers and your whole church to read this summer! One program I served with started a summer book club. Students and volunteers read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and not only grew in their vocabulary and reading skills, but also met weekly to discuss the story and connect to biblical themes from the book! Many libraries create a summer reading challenge, and your ESL program could join in the local library's challenge, or create your own. Other ideas include a cozy reading nook at your church or in the community (i.e. an apartment complex where your students live), a free book cart or a mini free library.
Opportunities and ideas abound, and the goal remains the same - get students engaged in learning throughout the summer! |
Add a cozy reading nook in your kids department foyer or mingling space. |
Place a book cart in a prominent place in your church to lend or give away engaging books. |
Create a small free library and free pantry, or dedicate an entire room as a church lending library. |
Spotlight on Teaching English ConneXus (TECs) Trainer |
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Katie Welch, Ph.D, serves as Interim Director of the English Language Institute at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she also teaches courses in TESOL and adult English language education. Her work focuses on preparing teachers to serve multilingual learners in a wide range of contexts, including community-based and faith-based ESL programs. Katie was named the 2024 TexTESOLer of the Year and was recently selected as part of the COABE National Presenter Network. |
Katie has been actively volunteering with Literacy ConneXus since 2021 and enjoys connecting with Christian ESL teachers across the Dallas–Fort Worth area. She considers it a privilege to encourage and equip teachers who are serving English learners through local church ministries.
A graduate of Baylor University (‘03), Katie first became interested in ESL ministry while serving as a PAWS (People Around the World Sharing) partner through the campus Baptist Student Ministry. She is currently a member of First Baptist Church Garland, where she has volunteered in both the GED and ESL ministries. She has also partnered with church staff on several Language Hospitality initiatives designed to help make the church more welcoming to multilingual families.
Katie has been selected as a featured speaker at the upcoming Literacy Texas Annual Conference on July 28–29, where she will lead two sessions specifically geared toward church-based programs, including facilitating a panel discussion titled “Faith-Affiliated Programs: Leading at the Intersection of Language and Ministry. |
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Central Texas
ESL Teacher Training
When:
June 13, 2026
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Where:
River City Hope Street
1150 S. Bell Blvd, Bldg 3
Cedar Park, TX 78613
Note: Workshop will be held on the 2nd floor. The building has no elevator.
Cost: $25 |
DFW Area ESL Teacher Training
When:
August 15, 2026
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM,Lunch included
Where:
Hunters Glen Baptist Church
4001 Custer Rd,
Plano, TX 75023
Save the Date
Registration Will Open Soon! |
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ESL Spotlight Activity:
Charades |
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Charades is a type of pantomime game where a student silently acts out a word while others try to guess. This can be a whole-class activity, or a competitive team game, and is lots of fun!
Some vocabulary is perfect for charades, particularly active verbs, but also common nouns which can be used with actions (think food, tools, or everyday items like a phone or money).
Click for a free resource about how to use charades in your classroom! |
A Chain Drill is a common teaching method in which students take turns speaking the same dialogue in a sequence around the room (like a chain). Each student gets a chance to ask and answer the same question, and listen to the same dialogue many times. This reinforces student learning and increases confidence because each student hears the dialogue so many times. For higher level students, the chain can be increasingly complex, or answers can be unique to each student.
Click for a free resource about using chain drills in your classroom. |
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We’d Love to Hear From You!
Literacy ConneXus would love to stay connected with you. Here are a few ways to engage with us:
- Share your ESL success stories 🎓 🎉 so we can feature them in ESL Spotlight
- Send us your prayer requests 🙏
- Reach out for help with challenges or ministry needs 😫
- Let us know if you’d like us to host an ESL Teacher Training ⛪ in your area
- Share teaching tips 💁 or best practices💡 with fellow ministries
Please email us at info@literacyconnexus.org to share your stories, ideas, activities, or successes!
Be sure to visit our website for upcoming events and trainings.
We look forward to hearing from you!
We need your help!
We have a number of volunteer opportunities. No matter your gifting, we probably have an area where you could serve! Specific needs right now include:
- Social Media Manager - update Literacy ConneXus social media once or twice a week and work on an overall marketing strategy.
- TECs Teacher-Trainer Regional Coordinators - network with churches and nonprofits in your area, set up training events, and help coordinate which of our TECs trainers will attend/lead.
- TECs Teacher-Trainers - lead in-person teacher-training sessions. We will train and assist you!
- Online ESL Teachers - lead online class weekly, drawing from students across the state of Texas and around the world, to supplement local church-based ESL classes.
Please email us at info@literacyconnexus.org if you are interested in volunteering.
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Immigration
Resources to Help Your Students |
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Many program directors and ESL teachers have asked for resources or training related to immigration. Your students may be fearful or have questions for you. You might have students who dropped out or stopped coming to your class.
Here are some resources that we have gathered from partner ministries or other organizations. Please prayerfully consider how you can best serve your students with empathy and Christlike love. |
World Relief, a Christian nonprofit which serves vulnerable people worldwide, has a number of helpful resources.
Jewish Family and Community Services has videos in 12 different languages to help students understand their rights and prepare for emergencies, including detention and deportation, as well as weather-related emergencies.
As a teacher, if you want to learn more about legal rights related to ICE, there is a course available at this link. |
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The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a number of helpful immigration resources.
The Evangelical Immigration Table also has many resources, including:
- Biblical resources for learning what the Bible says about immigration issues
- Advocacy resources and opportunities
- Assistance and legal resources
- Prayer resources
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We Choose Welcome has a helpful guide for how to serve your immigrant and refugee students. This resource is a good first step for learning to love and care for refugees and immigrants.
Also remember to NOT give legal advice or fill out documents for others. Well-meaning advice, if inaccurate, could cause paperwork delays or worse. To refer students to legal advice, be sure that lawyers are certified and accredited: check American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), ask a DOJ Accredited Representative, or find someone accredited with the Bureau of Immigration Appeals (BIA). This website can also help you learn more about legal help for immigrants. |
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