Detailed Class Information :: www.AlbanyAdultSchool.org

Ellen Hecht

Class Description: ESL Intermediate/Advanced
Over the course of my teaching career, I have taught English as a Second Language to refugees, immigrants, and visiting professionals from all over the world. In my classroom, I promote cross-cultural awareness, tolerance, and understanding through culturally-sensitive reading, writing, listening, and conversation activities.

In addition to creating opportunities for my students to share their cultures with one another, I also encourage them to discover values they have in common, e.g. fairness, personal responsibility, respect for life, and respect for the environment. I am always thrilled when I see friendships form between students from very different cultural backgrounds or from countries with strained historical and political relationships.

I have great respect for the students I teach and have heard many awe-inspiring life stories over the years. I will never forget an Irani student's description of her family's escape on foot over the mountains to Turkey, nor will I forget a Russian student's description of Leningrad during World War II or a Yemeni student's loving struggle with her very disabled oldest daughter. From all of these stories, I gain much perspective on my own life.

Class Photo

Ellen Hecht with students from her ESL Intermediate class