5 Free Resources For Seattle ELL Students
By Estrella Chan, Academic Coach, ELL Specialist
If you are an international student who just moved to the Seattle area, here are five free resources to help you improve your conversational English, meet new friends, learn to improve English on your own, and help with your research papers.
English Conversation Practice
Talk Time Classes
Many public libraries have a class called Talk Time. It’s not a formal class— you don’t need to register; just drop in! In Talk Time, you’ll have opportunities to practice conversing with volunteers. Each Talk Time group is different because of the volunteers who help with that group. Try out a few groups and see which one you feel most comfortable with. Then keep going back. Although not every classmate shows up every week because it’s a drop-in class, I know people who have met new friends from these groups and remain in touch with each other. To find a Talk Time group near you, Google “Talk Time library.”
English Language Practice and Community
English Language Learner Alliance
Another free resource is the English Language Learner Alliance (ELLA for short.) This organization is anyone who wants to meet new people and practice speaking English, including those who have recently arrived in the U.S. and those who have been here for a long time. ELLA offers conversation groups for adults, special topics for life in the U.S., parent/child playgroups, parent/child song and story hour, and other special events. All of their programs are free, and you can drop in anytime.
Making Friends and Socializing
Meetup.com
Another resource that can help you meet new friends is meetup.com. This is a great resource for college students and older learners, as you need to be 18 to sign up. The site connects you to others in your area by interest. There is a wide range of interest groups, from photography to hiking, language practice, and walking groups. Some of the groups may ask for a $5 contribution as the coordinator needs to pay to have the meeting listed on the website but, otherwise, the events are usually free.
Local Librarians
King County Public Libraries
The King County Libraries is one of the most-used library systems in the country, and their librarians are a fantastic resource for ELL students. You can email them with questions about the project you are working on and ask for suggestions on the best resources for your research. If you need additional help, you can even book time with a librarian for 30 minutes. Visit kcls.org/ask to get started.
These five resources are available to help you increase confidence in speaking English, meet new friends, improve your language skills on your own, and use the skills of a trained librarian to help you with your research projects. Best of all, they are all FREE!
Estrella Chan has been teaching English to students of all ages for over 30 years. She received her Master’s Degree in ESL from the University of Washington.