Beyond Icebreakers: Community-Building Routines That Keep Adult ESOL Learners Coming Back

Marianna Dorn, ESOL Program Director, The Briggs Center for Faith and Action

Description:

Adult ESOL learners face many barriers to consistent attendance and persistence, many of which are outside an instructor’s control. While we can’t eliminate these barriers, we can create learning environments where students feel known, valued, and connected—and where they want to return. This interactive session will explore practical community-building routines that go beyond first-day icebreakers to make belonging an ongoing part of the classroom. 

Beyond Survival English: Turning Language Learning into Career and Workforce Opportunity  

Laura E. Prado, Program Supervisor, Catholic Charities DC

Description:

Many adult ESOL classes focus on immediate communication needs, leaving limited time to connect English learning with long-term career goals. This interactive session will explore strategies and activities that help learners identify their strengths, transferable skills, and career pathways while developing English proficiency. Participants will experience asset mapping, pathway planning, and workforce-focused projects that support both language development and employment advancement.

Integrating Digital Literacy into your ESOL Program: A Step-by-Step Framework

Tessa Ambridge, Ambridge Learning Design and 

Beverlie Acree, IMPACT

Description:

In an increasingly digital world, navigating technology can be a struggle for learners. Many ESOL programs recognize the importance of digital literacy but aren’t sure where to begin or which skills to prioritize within existing ESOL programming. Designed for program administrators, this session introduces a digital literacy integration framework, program needs assessment, and learner self-assessment to help identify priorities and determine where to start. 

Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning for Adult ESOL 

Megan Calvert, Instructional Designer, Montgomery College

Description:

Trauma can affect how learners think, learn, regulate, and connect. In this interactive workshop, participants will build a basic understanding of trauma and explore practical strategies for creating a trauma-informed learning environment. Through a guided worksheet, classroom examples, and reflection, participants will assess their knowledge and create a plan for applying seven principles of trauma-informed teaching to their work. 

To Play or Not to Play: Selecting and Creating Speaking-Oriented Games for Adult ESL Learners

Nataliia Cherevko, ESOL Specialist , Washington English Center

Description:

Get your students talking! This hands-on workshop explores practical, speaking-oriented games and for adult ESL learners. Try activities for different proficiency levels, class sizes, and learning goals, and discover how to adapt them for your students. We’ll also examine what makes an ESL game effective, which games to avoid, and why. Leave with a ready-to-use toolkit of classroom games and activities.

Walking Alongside Our Learners: Turning Barriers into Advocacy

Rosa Bello, Founder, Stories of Immigrants

Description:

Adult ESOL educators see the same barriers again and again: English-only paperwork, nontransferable credentials, immigration enforcement keeping learners home, and more. When a barrier is a pattern rather than one person’s situation, it is something we as educators have the power to advocate on. In this session, participants will learn how to identify patterns, speak up about what they are seeing, and work with local representatives to turn barriers into action.

Hybrid Learning: Creating One Classroom, Two Ways to Participate

Char Harouna, Program Manager and ESL Instructor, Ana A. Brito Foundation

Description:

Many programs are interested in hybrid instruction but worry about the technology, cost, and complexity of implementation. Drawing on their experience transitioning all adult ESOL classes to a hybrid model, Epworth’s Ana A. Brito Foundation will share practical strategies for creating one classroom community with two ways of participating. Participants will explore classroom setup, teaching routines, and strategies for equitable learner engagement.