For students coming in from another country, the transition can be hard, especially if they have to learn a new language. English as a Second Language helps students who are learning English to better understand their classes.

The course work is slowed down so students can learn the language itself. There are currently about 50 students in the program.

“We help connect these students to the country and help them have access to all the tools that are here,” ESL teacher Mayson Salley said. “We try to set up everything to make the transition easier and get them back into regular classes. We are really a bridge, a landing strip and a guide, working for all students.“

In ESL classes, students focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing. The program helps them tremendously by improving their English language ability.

“Being in the program helps with classes because it slows down my work, giving me more time and helping me translate,” junior Fatima Torres said. “I can understand my lessons better, and it gives me time to think about the words I want to say, before I say them.”

Fifteen different languages and countries are represented in the Rouse ESL program, including India, Finland, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Senior Antoni Contreras said it’s nice to be enrolled in the program because it’s a place to find students who share a common situation.

“There are many different people here,” Contreras said. “We are all from different places, but it’s nice to come and hang out with students from a variety of locations, even if we are diverse.”