For the fifth year, Lee University’s Department of Language and Literature will offer free English language classes to the community beginning Thursday, Feb. 4.

The English Language Center offers four levels of classes – Beginning I, Beginning II, Intermediate, and Advanced – so that students are able to focus their learning at the level where they need to improve.

Small class sizes facilitate individualized experiences for students, allowing instructors to address the unique challenges of each individual so that students have the opportunity to meet their personal goals. The one-on-one interactions afforded by this model help to develop the conversational skills of students.

The courses are led by student-instructors, all of whom are professionally trained in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) under the direction of Dr. Christopher Blake, assistant professor of TESOL and Linguistics at Lee and director of the English Language Center.

Fanny Acosta has been attending ESL classes at Lee for a year. “The classes help me improve my English skills and comprehension,” said Acosta. “It is a very nice and interesting group of people. I like learning with them and sharing these moments together. The volunteer students are very involved and helpful when we have questions; they work hard to help us understand the rules of English. I’m really impressed by them, and I appreciate the work they do.”

Classes will take place on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Walker Memorial Building, Room 301. Free childcare will be provided for children (ages 6-12) who attend with their parents.

For more information or to register, contact Blake at [email protected] or call (423) 614-8223.