NSU Fischler Academy student, Eloise Nieto, has created an English acquisition program aimed at helping local high school students, who are non-native speakers, to develop their English skills by teaching them common English words that are used in everyday conversation. The program, known as Shark Speak, has provided Nieto with a way to apply the skills she has learned in NSU’s Fischler Academy to helping people in the community.
Daryl Hulce, the program supervisor, explained that he got the inspiration for the program when his Spanish speaking neighbors vocalized their need for English courses. When Hulce realized the need for a program like Shark Speak, he presented the idea to Kimberly Durham, the dean of the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice and asked if he could hire Fischler Academy students to help people in the community learn English. When he was given the green light, he pitched the idea to Nieto, and when Nieto heard the idea, she took it and ran with it.
“I was in the process of working with students who are already in the process of acquiring English as a second language, so I immediately thought of how it would benefit them…Working together, with my knowledge of working with students and [Hulce’s] ideas of what his neighbors needed [we were able] to combine our ideas in a practical way,” said Nieto.
The program started in June of 2019, hosting two five week programs in the summer, and has continued with a four week weekend program throughout the school year.
“These kids got out of school on a Friday and came voluntarily to sit in a classroom on a Monday to learn English. That just speaks to how motivated these kids are [in wanting] to learn. I’m still a little baffled by it,” said Hulce.
In addition to learning English in a classroom setting, the students are also given the opportunity to practice in real world settings. Being able to see themselves on a college campus is a great way to encourage students to continue learning.
“It’s not all focused in the classroom. Last Saturday, we took them to a CommunityFest. During the summer, we took them to the park and the zoo and the beach and places that they might not get to go… For them to meet someone like [Hulce], someone who isn’t in education, who isn’t a teacher, but who is willing to spend his summer or his Saturdays teaching them, talking to them and learning from them, is so rewarding. They meet people who are interested in them as people and in their futures,” said Nieto.
Nieto reflected on how unique the opportunity to create a program like Shark Speak has been in her college experience.
“The experience I have had working on Shark Speak has been unlike any other [experience]. And the fact that, as a student, they have trusted me enough to give me the green light and say ‘sure let’s do it, go ahead,’ is pretty amazing,” said Nieto.
In the future, Hulce hopes to expand the program so that all Fischler students have the opportunity to participate during their time at NSU.
Photo: Shark Speak Program
