About the elc

The English Language Center had its beginnings in the language classes that were offered through the Refugee Center from its inception in the 1980s. 
In the 80s, refugees were offered 2 or 3 classes each week at either a beginning or an advanced level.
In 2001, the English Language Center became it's own program. Now, we offer a semi-intensive program providing 3 hours of level appropriate instruction 5 days a week.

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The Tools to Succeed

Instruction in the classroom is structured around current research in adult language acquisition. The curriculum is derived from a joint effort between staff and participants. Methodology focuses on projects involving the language rather than lessons isolating grammar and vocabulary. Language is "discovered" as projects progress. Structured forms are presented according to relevance to the project. Topics generally focus on life skills, with the development of employability skills given special consideration. Competency in computer literacy is developed in the computer lab.

Student levels are assessed with oral interviews before being placed in a class that caters to their specific English language acquisition needs. Our curriculum includes topics such as:

• Basic Language
• Community Services
• Consumer Economics
• Health
• Employment
• Transportation
• Housing

meet our Staff

Steve Rainey

Director

Steven Rainey is director of the ELC. Steve has taught ESL/EFL for over 30 years,served as the director of an intensive English language program in Korea, and oversaw a pilot intensive ESL program for Mexican students at BSU. Mr. Rainey has worked with refugees in Boise for over 20 years. He has a background in linguistics with a focus in language acquisition. He has served on the Intermountain TESOL board and the Refugee Concerns Interest Section board of the international TESOL organization.

Ashley Hislop

SERVICES TO OLDER REFUGEES COORDINATOR

Following a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service at the ELC, Ashley became the Services to Older Refugees Coordinator at the end of 2017. Ashley taught English in Mongolia as a Peace Corps volunteer after graduating from Boise State University with a degree in Anthropology and finished a graduate program in Crisis and Emergency Management in 2019. 
Ashley is semi-fluent in Mongolian and has dabbled in a variety of other languages; she is currently taking an online course in Norwegian. She is half-way through her dream of visiting every continent and enjoys reading, watercolor painting, writing, and studying folk-lore.

Ruth Merrill

ESL Instructor

Ruth has taught English to English language learners since 1997.  After graduating with a Master of Arts in Bilingual and English as a Second Language, Ruth began teaching for Boise State University, later the College of Western Idaho absorbed the adult education department.  Besides the ESL teaching and course development for BSU and CWI, Ruth taught Vocational English for Create Common Good.  However, Ruth is most excited to join the educational team at the English Language Center where she teaches a very beginning class and an advanced class. She was awarded an Idaho Refugee Recognition Award for an Adult Educator at the Idaho Conference for Refugees 2011.  Her work history includes jobs as a wrangler, zoo keeper, wild land fire fighter, hotel maid, waitress and librarian but teaching is her passion. In her free time, Ruth enjoys gardening, spending time with her family and being in the mountains; skiing, biking and camping.

Sharon Seid

ESL INSTRUCTOR

Sharon is the Advanced Class teacher at the English Language Center.

Anna Tovar

ESL Instructor

Anna started volunteering at the ELC in 2010 as a service-learning student at Boise State University while working to complete her BA in English- emphasis in Linguistics. After graduating, Anna began to substitute at the ELC. Then in January 2014, Anna joined the ELC staff, facilitating the Cultural Orientations for newly arrived students. In 2015, she began teaching the beginning and intermediate classes at the ELC.
Anna returned to BSU and is currently studying for a Master’s in Education - Literacy. Anna's passion for teaching began in high school when she volunteered teaching Sunday school classes at her church. Her interest in languages and multi-ethnic backgrounds was also fostered in high school where she began studying Spanish and set a goal to become fluent in five languages in her lifetime. Anna enjoys spending her free time cooking, reading, gardening, biking, camping, and spending time with her family.

Language is Power