Virtual English Conversation Group Facilitators Needed! (For Adults) Training Provided

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Thank you for your interest! Would you like to help adult English language learners develop confidence in their speaking and listening skills? Are you an excellent listener and facilitator with great cross-cultural and interpersonal skills?

(Note: This is not a traditional "class" and not a teaching position; it's more of a social group for participants to actually speak in a guided/facilitated setting, at their current level.)

This is an opportunity to co-facilitate an English Conversation Group for adult ESL/English language learners (ELLs) with Sacramento Public Library (California). There are virtual and in-person opportunities.

These groups are open to the public but may also include Adult Literacy ESL learners from our tutoring program.

This is NOT a class and not a teaching position, in the traditional sense; we chose the term "facilitator" for a reason! No lecturing please. We want facilitators who will minimize their own speaking and maximize participant speaking time. Volunteer facilitators are trained and guided by an Adult Literacy staff person with TESOL* expertise, so previous experience is not required. As a co-facilitator, you can contribute discussion ideas/content, facilitate discussion among adult ESL participants, and assist in particular with breakout room discussions.

The virtual conversation group sessions have a basic structure with some regular activities, all based on a specific theme or topic (food, holidays, etc.) with slides that a staff person creates, often based on participant and volunteer input, but are otherwise informal. In-person groups have more flexibility and allow for more facilitator independence, although general training guidelines and expectations still apply so that participants have a somewhat consistent experience across our large system.

The preferred number of co-facilitators per virtual session is 2-3, to help manage virtual breakout rooms.

We currently offer 3 virtual conversation group sessions (listed below) and are looking for more in-person facilitators also, for different locations. You may commit to facilitating one or more sessions.

• Thursdays, 1:00 - Beginner/Intermediate
• Thursdays, 5:00 - Intermediate/Advanced
• Fridays, 1:00 - "Make-up" session, tailored to average level using Thursday's topic(s)
• Let us know if you are interested in in-person groups at certain library branches (28 total)

Due to the time it takes to train volunteers and for volunteers to become comfortable, we ask volunteers commit to 6 months or longer, but there is some flexibility. Longer-term volunteers also help build a sense of community and trust with participants for better persistence and outcomes.

Potential facilitators are welcome to observe a session and volunteer planning session before committing to the opportunity! Please contact us for more information.

*TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages