About
Belmont UMC’s ESL is a program for English language learners that is available on
Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The three-hour in-person classes are held at
Belmont, 2007 Acklen Avenue, and are taught by volunteer teachers.
Registration
Winter 2025 registration is now closed. Fall 2025 registration will open in the summer.
For more information, contact
Program
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced level classes are held Tuesday and Thursday from
9:00 to noon. Higher level conversation class is held on Monday from 10:30 a.m. to
noon.
The registration fee is $40, and the book fee for Tuesday/Thursday classes is $40.
When inquiring about ESL, please include the following information:
If you have taken English in the past.
If you have attended Belmont ESL in the past and the name of your teacher.
A telephone number where you can be reached.
Whether you prefer to be reached by email or text.
It is recommended that students and volunteers be up to date on vaccines to help ensure classrooms are as healthy as possible.
Belmont ESL focuses on grammar proficiency, conversation and writing skills, U.S. customs and culture, and more. Each year, classes celebrate special program-wide events such as a Thanksgiving-themed potluck lunch and a year-end Belmont ESL Writes banquet. (Can use new or old Thanksgiving or ESL Writes photos here)
History of Belmont ESL
More than 50 years ago, Nashvillians saw a need to offer English classes for the city’s growing immigrant community. Belmont UMC opened its doors then and has enthusiastically supported the adult ESL program since. It provides space for classes and supports the program, and several of the volunteer teachers and classroom aides are members of Belmont UMC. During the pandemic, classes continued remotely via Zoom, and some classes offered a hybrid Zoom and in-person format until 2022 when in-person classes resumed.
Enrollment ranges from 40-60 students each year.
Multiple languages and cultures are represented by the student body, a fact that makes for rich discussions and learning opportunities. Some classes sponsor field trips to Nashville landmarks like the Public Library downtown or the Fort Negley Civil war site. Multiple students have used Belmont ESL classes as a springboard for more advanced English classes, the pursuit of higher education, or a foundation for a GED. Each semester, students begin classes as strangers with diverse backgrounds and languages but end the time together as friends.