Across the Upper Valley, a network of free English language learning programs serves immigrants at every level.
In Hanover, the Supporting Refugees Club, created by Hanover High School students and the Rassias Center, trains students in the Rassias Method, a high-energy teaching style that replicates life-like situations, to provide weekly English lessons to immigrants working at a local hospital. This year, the club has reached record involvement, with up to 50 students attending club meetings each week.
Just across the river, in White River Junction, Vermont Adult Learning offers a range of in-person and online services to help Vermont residents improve their English language skills, encourage conversation and support professional development.
Recently, some managers of the English language learning programs say fear of immigration enforcement is making it harder to bring students together.
“There is so much fear. People are way more cautious,” said Helene Rassias-Miles, executive director of the Rassias Center for World Languages and Cultures in Hanover. “There is just so much anxiety.”
In August, a local volunteer group, Upper Valley Immigration Solidarity, reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained three people in West Lebanon on the morning of Aug. 7, the Valley News reported. Hartford police said at the time they were unaware of any ICE arrests.
Despite rising fears, these programs continue to meet weekly. What keeps them running is not just the students’ commitment to learn English, but the personal relationships and community found in the classroom.
‘A bunch of different cultures’
The Upper Valley is home to a diverse demographic of immigrants, with people from Afghanistan to Haiti to Ukraine. “We don’t have a giant population of one ethnic group. Rather, we have a few people from here and there, and as a result, a lot of our classes are a mix of a bunch of different cultures,” Rassias-Miles explained.
While having a diverse classroom can make creating an English curriculum that accommodates various native languages challenging, Rassias-Miles emphasized that in her experience, it also creates a unique community where people are united by their desire to learn English. As students progress through weekly sessions, English soon becomes a common medium where communication and collaboration can thrive.
Nate McFetridge, a senior at Hanover High School and a leader of the school’s Supporting Refugees Club, said that a strong community comes from years of repeated connection between the teachers and students.
“The other teachers and I feel more like their friends than ever, mostly because of how well we know them now,” McFetridge explained.
The classroom environment is friendly and light-hearted. According to Amanda Gillen, the programs and finance coordinator at the Rassias Center, the Rassias Method emphasizes “creating a safe environment where people can mess up and feel the support of the people around them.”
McFetridge emphasized, “I definitely think the students look forward to class time. We’ve really created a community where learning for them is super enjoyable.”
‘What’s new?’
At the English language learning program at Vermont Adult Learning, students come weekly to improve their language skills for a variety of reasons.
Some focus on career advancement, hoping to one day start their own business or apply to a Ph.D. program. Others want to improve their day-to-day interactions, eager to better understand their doctor’s appointments or find friendship with those in their community.
Joy Gaine, an English language teacher at Vermont Adult Learning, fosters an environment where students can connect through shared experiences. Students come to the course with distinct languages, cultures and reasons for learning English, but the classroom can reveal they have more in common than they think.
At the beginning of each lesson, Gaine asks, “What’s new?” This simple question invites students to share what preoccupies their minds.
Conversations are not always easy. Students discuss hurdles in their lives, from the challenges of living in a rural environment to feelings of isolation, difficult family situations, and the sadness of not knowing how loved ones are doing in another country.
Students take turns sharing their personal experiences as Gaine helps them articulate their thoughts. They are honest and vulnerable, revealing their struggles to an audience of open ears. Mutual understanding underpins each discussion, and students often reassure each other that they share the same experience, Gaine said.
While the conversations can be heavy, they also bring plenty of joy and laughter. Students celebrate each other’s accomplishments, discuss their favorite hobbies and plan future visits to each other’s gardens. The conversation flows seamlessly between sharing moments of hardship and stories of contentment, interrupted only by Gaine’s intermittent grammatical corrections.
According to Gaine, “It’s important to give everyone a chance to chat. Grammar, vocabulary, fluency — they are all important skills, but I always make sure to have time for conversation.” This atmosphere encourages students to put themselves out there and make mistakes, supporting vulnerability beyond language skills.
“This community would not exist if it were just a club for immigrants,” emphasized Cici Zhang, a visiting student at Vermont Adult Learning. “Even though we have the same problems and the same challenges, we don’t know how to express our feelings. The teacher is like a light.”
The teachers themselves don’t always recognize the impact they have on their students.
“If we are afraid to do anything, the teachers give us confidence to speak out, speak up, and to push to keep on going. She opens her heart so we can open ours,” Zhang said.