School of Education | Research, Discovery, and Innovation (RDI) | Real World English | Adult English Classes

Adult English Classes

Real World English is a culturally responsive program that supports language and community development through practical English instruction at multiple levels for adult learners. All courses are free. Our learning community is a safe and open environment for adult students and their children regardless of native language, immigration status, nationality, religion, or other social, ethnic, or racial characteristics.

We are experienced teachers with a commitment to professional growth and a willingness to be part of a collaborative program.

Our focus is on student-centered learning using ‘best practices’ in teaching English to speakers of other languages, and we highly value cultural interactions and cross-cultural understanding.

We cooperate with UNC Greensboro (UNCG) and other agencies and groups in the community, to provide additional learning opportunities for adults and children.

FAQs

All our English classes for adults and STEAM activities for children are free.

The Real World English program offers both in-person and online adult classes. In-person classes are held at Allen Middle School in Greensboro.

If you are interested in our online classes, please email us at [email protected].

New classes begin in September and January. Classes typically run for 12 weeks. If you miss the first two classes you can ask to be placed on a waiting list for the next cycle of classes.

We only ask for your name and contact information when you sign up for our free English classes. No other documentation is needed. No pre-registration is required.

No purchase is required. Each teacher develops and distributes free materials appropriate for his or her class. If you do not live near Greensboro, teachers can email learning materials and homework to you as attachments that you can print.

Students who take our face-to-face classes will be given a placement test to determine the appropriate level of English class. Online students are asked to choose the level they think is appropriate. To help with this, you can look at our class recordings. If either a teacher or a student thinks moving to a different level would be better, this can be done easily.

We offer a Certificate of Attendance. This certificate indicates the number of hours you attended classes during one year. Certificates of Attendance are made available annually in May. No other certification is available.

Yes, we accept middle and high-school age students in our free English classes. Elementary-age children are best served by the STEAM activities offered by the Real World English Children’s Program.

When Are Classes Held?

Free, in-person English classes for adults are held on Saturday mornings at Allen Middle School (1108 Glendale Dr., Greensboro, NC 27406) at 9 am.

Classes begin on Saturday, September 7, 2024 and no pre-registration is required. No new students will be admitted after September 14, 2024. Classes end on November 23, 2024, but will resume in January 2025.

Children are welcome if parents are attending in-person classes.

“When I switched my children to Allen Middle School, I saw a flyer regarding the program, so I decided to sign up. It has been three years that I have been participating, and I really enjoy being here because I get to learn English! I also enjoy the timing of the program and they are able to look after my children while I’m in class. My children really enjoy being here as well because they talk to me about the activities they do each week. I am very happy with everything.”

Maria, RWE Adult Student

“I chose the Real World English program to learn English because it is convenient for me to take classes on Saturdays and because I work during the week. I really enjoy the program because I can also bring my children and they enjoy coming. My children enjoy the activities that are set up for them by the volunteers each week, and they also enjoy playing sports in the gym. I would like for the classes to be longer because I would like to learn more, and there isn’t enough time.”

Rafael, RWE Adult Student

Class Recordings

Basic 1 Class

In this class, we practice listening and are taught us some new words. We learn how to answer questions like “Where are you from? What city?”, “What is your last name?” and “How old are you?”

Basic 2 Class

In this class, we talk about reading in English and discover what kind of books are great for beginners.

Intermediate Class

In this class, we teach about complaining and apologizing. We talk about what we have complained about lately.

Advanced Class

In this class, our teachers ask you to introduce yourself and explain your reasons for why you want to learn English!

Teacher Profiles

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William T. Markham

Retired Professor of Sociology and Director of Environmental Studies Program at UNCG. Author of numerous books and articles. Fluent in German and speak Spanish at high intermediate level. Lived in Germany and Netherlands and have visited about 70 countries. Experience assisting at Sylvia Mendez Newcomers School and RWE Program. Hobbies: choral singing, hiking, language study, reading history, home renovation.

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Clara Ines Lozano Espejo

An experienced English and Spanish teacher and bilingualism coordinator from Colombia, South America, with 30 years of experience in her home country and in the United States.

For the past three years, she has been working as a Multilingual Learner (MLL) teacher with Guilford County Schools District and has volunteered as an adult education instructor for Real World English. Her work with multilingual learners and their families has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her career, as she believes it is a vital way to help society overcome stereotypes and build better futures for upcoming generations. Saturdays bring her the greatest joy, as she engages directly with parents and other adults eager to learn English, recognizing its importance as a tool for empowerment and societal recognition.

Edison Joaquin Garcia

Edison Garcia has been teaching in the Real World English program since September 2017. Currently licensed as a teacher in the state of North Carolina, with a B.S. in Foreign Languages and a M.A. in TESOL, he is a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and dedicated educator who strives to help all his students, including his international students, to succeed. As a Middle School (ESL) Teacher and Level 1 instructor for WE, he enjoys getting involved and helping the international community in Greensboro. Besides participating in RWE, he enjoys books, hiking and traveling to different destinations.

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Vladimir Alarcon

Vladimir Alarcon has a degree in Foreign Languages Teaching and a Master’s degree in Spanish Linguistics. He has been teaching ESL and Spanish for the past 10 years of his life. Currently, he is working for Winston Salem Forsyth County school district. He is an in-person teacher at Real World English where he has been teaching for two years. He is excited about helping level 1 students to be involved with the English language and willing to assist them anytime they need him. He loves seeing the improvement his students have through the semester and how they use their skills in real life activities. In his spare time, Mr. Alarcon enjoys going for a walk, hanging out with friends, traveling to international destinations and doing community work.

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Sandra Patricia Pérez Mora

Colombian teacher who is passionate about the job she has been doing for more than 30 years. A wife for 20 years and a mother for 19.

A thankful woman for all the blessings she receives from God on a daily basis.

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Evelyn Serrano

I am Evelyn Serrano, I am Salvadoran, and I have worked as a teacher for more than 10 years, and I consider myself a goal-driven professional educator with a solid commitment to the social and academic growth of students through a classroom atmosphere that is stimulating, encouraging, and adaptive to their needs.

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Fernando Cespedes

My name is Fernando Cespedes and I have been teaching English for more than 30 years now. I have worked for Guilford and Forsyth Counties. I am the founder of APREHENDE, an online tutoring company in charge of teaching English, Spanish, digital designing and more.

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Tasha Pace

Parent Liaison/ Data manager

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Carol Margot Zegarra Linares

My name is Carol Zegarra. I am a licensed Spanish, ESL, and Science teacher. I am currently the Science teacher for the Spanish Immersion Program at Kiser Middle School in Guilford county as well as a lead teacher. I have been teaching for 27 years now. I am from Lima, Peru. I am married and have three wonderful children.

Resources

    • Attend and participate in every class
    • Do assigned homework
    • Practice speaking English outside your home
    • Practice speaking English with your children
    • Watch English speaking television or movies with or without captions
    • Choose 5 new words to learn every day (or every week) and use them
    • Write your grocery shopping list in English
    • Read anything written in English aloud
    • Listen to English speaking radio stations
    • Learn the lyrics of songs you enjoy in English
    • Watch the news on an English-speaking channel
    • Take more English classes either in person or online (look under Online Resources)
    • Go to a public library to check out books, movies, audio books, etc.
    • Find a conversation partner to speak with on the phone or in person.
    • Set goals and don’t give up!

    Some of these free online resources can be accessed on your phone.

    Some apps may be free at first, but then cost money to continue using.

    Do you want a textbook to practice your English? Here are our top recommendations!

    • Easy English Step-by-Step for ESL Learners: Master English Communication Proficiency – FAST! (Easy step-by-step) 1st Edition by Danielle Pelletier (About $17 on Amazon.com)
    • Easy English Grammar Step-by-Step: With 85 Exercises (Easy step-by-step series) 1st Edition by Phyllis Dutwin (About $12-15 on Amazon.com)
    • Domine lo Basico: Ingles: Master the Basics of English for Spanish Speakers (Spanish Edition; Barron’s Foreign Language Guides) Third Edition by Jean Yates, Ph.D. (About $15 on Amazon.com)

    REal World English

    [email protected]


    Mailing Address:
    1108 Glendale Drive
    Greensboro, NC 27406


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