The CATESOL Journal

Immigrant adults in the United States often have limited opportunities to learn English. To address this issue and to strengthen the preparation of future English language teachers, a practicum course offered in a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) program in California was modified to engage student teachers in the design and implementation of a community-based ESL program. This article describes how a teacher educator and three student teachers collaborated to design and implement the program; identifies the program's teaching philosophy, centered around the communicative approach; and discusses the program's learning outcomes, ranging from introducing oneself to participating in the Individualized Educational Plan meeting. As explained in the article, breaking down the walls that existed between the MA TESOL program and the community of students about whom the program theorized not only helped the ESL students the community-based program served, but it also strengthened the MA TESOL program as a whole.