One by one, the students in room 13 introduced themselves and explained why they were there.
The goal was the same: improved English skills. But everyone had different reasons for working toward that.
Yoshimi Umeyara explained to the class that she’d retired last year and was on a year-long trip around the world. She’d been to England and Canada already.
“This is my last trip,” Umeyara said. “I want to study English more.” Then she would go back home to Japan.
One student wanted to be able to use her Yokohama home as a guest house during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Another wanted to add a third language to his existing toolkit of French and German. Others spoke of the connections they could make if they mastered the second most commonly spoken language in the world.
“If I can speak English, I can go anywhere,” one said.
There are about 340 million native speakers of English worldwide, according to the Summer Institute of Linguistics. There are about 510 million speakers who’ve learned it as a second language.
Hawaii Community College’s Intensive English Program has been helping non-native speakers move up the proficiency ladder for more than 20 years. Over the past year, more than 100 students took the eight-week-long class, which kicked off its newest session last week.
Steven Clements, the program’s interim coordinator, has been involved with IEP for the past 10 years. Of the 65 international students currently studying at HCC, he said, most got their start in IEP.
Hawaii is an ideal setting for an English-as-second-language class because of the wealth of languages already spoken in the islands. It’s also easier for students to get involved with the community.
“I think students feel comfortable here,” Clements said earlier this week. “People are so friendly.”
The most recent cohort of IEP students came from a mix of different countries: Japan, Switzerland, Thailand and Peru.
The class was a mix of Hawaii residents and visitors. Most IEP students are college-age, Clements said, but the age range varies. Some enter the class because they need a life change — a recent divorce, for example.
For university students, IEP’s eight-week-long schedule fits neatly into academic calendars. People can spend their summer vacations working on their English skills and enjoying Hawaii (a major draw for students, particularly those from Japan, is the chance to take hula classes and eventually move on to the HCC hula program).
The biggest challenge for instructors and coordinators is encouraging interaction with native English speakers. Each student has a tutor, but just as important for improvement is talking to locals and practicing conversation.
“Students focus on classwork and homework, and forget how important it is to take advantage of living in the United States,” Clements said. “You don’t have to speak perfect English to communicate.”
To that end, IEP incorporates a host of activities into its schedule to keep students engaged: dozens of photos of past trips filled a wall-length bulletin board in the teachers’ room.
There are visits to elementary schools, trips to local events like the upcoming Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival and plenty of chances for students to work on volunteer projects. The Mauna Kea Visitors Center is a popular volunteer location; students also participate in reforestation and invasive species removal efforts.
“I really admire our students,” Clements said.
The next IEP session begins March 16. For more information, visit www.iephawaii.com
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.