The fifth annual N.C. State English as a Second Language Symposium will take place today at the McKimmon Center, led by N.C. State’s foreign languages and literature department. Toby Brody, director of ESL, led the organization of this year’s symposium.
“The symposium is an opportunity for educators across the state to come together and to learn more about current practices in the field of ESL and the specific statutes of ESL in the state in the public schools,” Brody said. “Clearly, everybody knows the number of immigrants settling in North Carolina has grown tremendously, and there are a number of students in public schools who don’t know English, so ESL teachers across the state are learning new strategies.”
Although other area universities hold workshops and meetings, NCSU is the only university in the state that holds such a big scale event dealing with the subject of ESL, Brody said.
Panelists include Richard Fry, a senior research associate with the Pew Hispanic Center, Jan Pilgreen, an associate professor of education at the University of La Verne in California, and others. The sessions will cover issues of literacy, parental involvement in the education of English-language learners, classroom strategies, research and hands-on activities.
Bhavin Gondha, sophomore in business management, feels that educators have to be willing to help children learn in order for them to excel at teaching them English.
“A major issue that has to be dealt with in teaching ESL to foreign children is patience and dedication,” Gondha said. “Each and every teacher has to take the extra step with their time with each child that is learning for it to be successful.”
ESL at NCSU is not a new program. Brody became ESL director five years ago after writing a grant.
“Five years ago I wrote a grant, which provided some seed money for an annual event, so really, it’s a result of federal grant money that was given to provide teacher training and to host the symposium,” she said.
Organizers expect between 375 and 400 people at the symposium. About 250 attendees showed up the first year, and attendance has increased with every year. Last year, about 450 people showed up to see several high-profile speakers, according to Brody.
Brody said their biggest challenge has always been speakers.
“There were a lot of speakers that I had approached to be keynotes and some of them are in such high demand, it’s hard to get them,” she said. “Sometimes, we tend to aim high for our speakers…but we’re very satisfied with the speakers we have this year.”
Brody said they approached various political leaders and the secretary of education to speak at the event, but that those people are always very busy.
Each year, the symposium covers different topics based on what the feedback of the attendees was the year before and what the “hot topics” of the year are.
“In past years we did a lot more on culture and technology, and this year we are more focusing on hands-on activities and literacy issues and parental involvement,” Brody said.
Planning for this event began after the first symposium since most speakers have to be booked at least a year ahead of time. The first two years the symposium was held in Talley, and once they outgrew it, they began to use the McKimmon Center. Brody said that throughout the planning, they have never really had to deal with major obstacles.
“N.C. State holding a conference to help educators shows so much with the school’s character,” Gondha said. “Anything that State can do is beneficial to all [attendees] that participate in this program. N.C. State has the dedication and ability to help this program be successful.”
Brody said she hopes this program will benefit educators to in turn benefit those they teach.
“I hope to provide an opportunity for people interested in ESL and educate professors to be inspired and develop better skills and become more aware of the field and better serve the population,” Brody said.
