Not Your Average Spoken English Class

On July 2, 2007, Indicorps Intern Veronica Huang started a unique four month long spoken English class. Indicorps has partnered with Adarsh Ahmedabad for to provide a service while inspiring others to serve. The English class combines personal growth and spoken English skills with a focus on civic engagement, allowing us to spread the message of selfless action to an unusual audience. The draw of a free English class was tremendous. Over an intense two-week period, Veronica interviewed over 100 applicants and selected 30 students. The class is an interesting blend of students from different age group and coming from different professional backgrounds, and all showed openness to exploring participation in creating a new type of culture.

Using a variety of speaking activities such as ice-breakers, tongue-twisters, role-playing, and short speeches, students have gradually gained familiarity with their fellow students and comfort in speaking English in front of the class and now will continue to explore topics dealing with service and the self. Last week, for example, the readings used dealt with different approaches to self-perception, namely, Walter Anderson’s “Three Ways We Know Ourselves” and Dr Howard Gardner’s “Multiple Intelligences”.

Indicorps and Adarsh Ahmedabad hope that engaging students into a rediscovery process of the abilities, goals, and potential they possess will provide a solid base for the next steps, understanding the society and being aware of social responsibilities.