This Fall 2020 semester has been very different from other semesters here in the English Language Academy, but thanks to our new interns, we have been able to continue serving students even during these uncertain times. Many of our teachers aren’t able to teach our students in person due to health concerns, but our interns assist the teachers in our classrooms as the teachers teach virtually. Our interns assist with questions the students may have, issuing worksheets and handouts, test proctoring, and assisting students in understanding the material.

So, we have our interns to thank for helping us reconfigure our Intensive English Program so that we can keep our students and teachers as safe and healthy while also allowing our students to have the in-person full immersive experience.

So, we wanted to introduce you to our interns to help you get to know them a little bit better. This week, we are introducing you to Lallie.

English Language Academy: What is your name, and what are you studying?

Lallie: My name is Lauren Kuske, but I go by Lallie (pronounced like La – Lee). It is a family nickname, and I started using it because I was working in an office that had two coworkers named Lauren and a coworker named Laura. I am majoring in Global Studies – Communication with a minor in Applied Linguistics and a certificate in TESOL.

ELA: How did you learn about the English Language Academy?

Lallie: I heard about the English Language Academy when I signed up to be a conversation partner my Freshman year at UWM.

ELA: What do you do as an intern here in the English Language Academy?

Lallie: Right now, I am working as a Classroom Facilitator and Tutor.

ELA: How have you worked with ELA in the past?

Lallie: I have worked with ELA before through the Conversation Partner program and as a Conversation Group leader for the Face 2 Face group, and when I was working at the CIE (Center for International Education), I helped during the summer with visiting high school students. I was also in a student teacher position for a field placement while I was in the Practicum course for the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program through the Linguistics Department.

ELA: How will your experiences here help you in the future?

Lallie: I am looking to work in an internationally minded career. I have always considered teaching English as an option, but I would like to become a Foreign Service Officer. The experiences that I have been accumulating has helped me become more confident in a classroom and among students. Working in the ELA classrooms gives me more experience with English Language Learners, which I can apply to those future careers.

ELA: What is the biggest challenge you have faced working as an intern?

Lallie: The biggest challenge has been the technology – from audio and video cutting out and the mics not picking up the students talking.

ELA: What do you love the most about working with ELA?

Lallie: Working with ELA is really fun, and I enjoy working with the students. Having been in different programming within ELA as a domestic English-speaking student, I see a lot of the thought that goes into providing for the students in ELA. It has opened my eyes to the different parts of TESOL in Higher Ed.