A three-credit summer course at UW-Eau Claire will cost most resident undergraduate students about $460. This summer, up to 35 students will have the opportunity to be the exception to this rule.

The Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages program will be offering “Content Based ESL Methods” (CI 403) for the first time, at no cost to students, May 19 through June 5.

As a part of the grant, students not only will have their tuition and segregated fees waved, but also will be provided with three textbooks and a $100 stipend for taking the class, said Kate Reynolds, assistant professor of foreign languages. Reynolds is also the project director of the university’s TESOL and English as a Second Language programs.

“It’s a little frosting on the cake,” said Dale Gable, senior lecturer of foreign languages and TESOL grant manager.

The class is the result of a $1.05 million federal grant given to the TESOL program to help inform future educators on how to instruct English as a Second Language, in specific areas such as math and science, Reynolds said.

The $100 is not indicative of anything being wrong with the program, Reynolds said. The federal government, in many cases, seems to think programs must pay students to induce their participation, she said.

“There are no strings attached,” Gable added.

The program and class were created because ESL students might face special challenges in specific subjects, Reynolds said.

“They may not be able to delve into an academic lecture easily,” she said. “As a result, they might think they’re dumb.”

To help remedy this problem, the class will give education students without a TESOL background, knowledge in effectively educating ESL students.

Setting up classes to cater to ESL learners is similar and equally effective as establishing a learning environment that works for most students, Gable said. She cited techniques, such as breaking classroom lessons into small chunks and using additional aides, including graphics, to illustrate concepts as ways to help ESL students learn.

Gable said she sees long-term benefits to additional TESOL training, such as more ESL students moving onto post-secondary education.

A “tremendous impact” might be felt if ESL students are allowed to slip by, Gable said.

Senior Rina Hindeleh said she would be participating in the course next fall. Hindeleh said she feels she has an obligation to her future students to take the course.

“It’s my obligation as a teacher to gain these skills and help my students,” Hindeleh said.

Senior elementary education major Briana Lovering conducted a survey of other elementary education majors to see how prepared they felt they were taking on the challenge of educating an ESL student last year.

“Many students didn’t seem to know how to adapt curriculums to meet the needs of ESL students,” she said.

Because elementary education majors are not required to take TESOL courses, Lovering said the additional free course would be useful.

“Plus, the $100 stipend is a really good incentive to get involved,” she said.

Hindeleh agreed.

“The $100 stipend doesn’t hurt as a poor college student,” she said, “but I would have been just as interested if the class didn’t have the extra perks.”