NYLC, Four-Time Winner of NY State TESOL Essay Contest!

By Isabel Solano and Cassandra Wong. 

NYLC proudly announced in September that Milena Alexandra Martinez Reyes of NYLC Jackson Heights won first place in the New York State TESOL Contest. 

Milena started at NYLC as an Advanced student and studied with us for 24 weeks. Her instructor Briony Bristow commented that at first, Milena was nervous about completing the essay, but winning the contest has helped her gain confidence in her English abilities and validated all that she has learned during her time at NYLC. Milena has since returned to her home country in the Dominican Republic.

Briony Bristow, Faculty & Academic Coordinator

Milena Alexandra Martinez Reyes,
First Place winner

This marks the 4th consecutive win for NYLC, and it is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of our students and teachers. We want to both thank and congratulate NYLC's Director of Studies, Ania Necakov, for being the force that motivates and promotes this contest. She took some time to answer some of our questions as we wanted to get a better insight into what it takes to participate annually in this contest and what it means for the school.


I: Why is participating in the TESOL essay contest important to our school?

Ania, Necakov, Director of Studies at NYLC

A.N: Participating in the Annual NYS TESOL Students' Projects contest allows our students to put their English skills into practice and compete against other ESL learners within NY State. This opportunity also validates our teachers' efforts to nurture creativity in our students, in addition to supporting them in the development of English language skills.

I: In your opinion, what is the main goal of the contest?

A.N: The contest looks to provide English language learners with a platform to express themselves in writing and compete against other English learners in one of three age/proficiency groups. NYLC students compete in a university/adult education category, which includes students enrolled in intensive English programs, community colleges, and degree-based programs or ESOL programs.

I:  Why is it important to you to motivate teachers and students to participate?

A.N: Outside school, students often find it challenging to successfully function in situations where they need to communicate with native English speakers. Some welcome the challenge, others feel too insecure about their "imperfect" English. Therefore, by motivating them to compete in the contest, I express my belief in their competence and worthiness. I give them a gentle push that encourages them to take the first step. And then another. Being able to inspire our students and support them in taking the risk and sharing their writing within the ESL community and beyond means a lot to all of us at NYLC. We are proud of all of them. Our pride and appreciation go out to our faculty as well. Year after year, they provide student support on a multitude of levels inside and outside the classroom. Without their dedication and commitment, NYLC would not be the place that it is.

NYLC has truly made it a goal to participate annually. Under Ania's direction, the Academic Coordinators make sure students and teachers are informed about the contest and do their best to motivate them along the process to submit their work. It is a team-effort that always pays off! 

Ania will be attending the awards ceremony in White Plains on November 15th to accept the award on behalf of the student and school. We are filled with pride for our students and honored to be recognized by others in the field. 

NYLC Students win New York State TESOL Writing Contest for Third Year In a Row!

New York Language Center is pleased to say that for the third year in a row, two NYLC students under the guidance of their instructors have submitted winning essays for the New York State TESOL writing contest: http://www.nystesol.org/studentprojects.html

Under the leadership of Ania Neckakov, Director of Studies, we are thrilled to announce that we have a winner and an honorable mention this year again for the New York State TESOL conference!

First place winner of the 2017–2018 NYS TESOL essay contest for the University and Adult Education category is Brendan Gahan's student, Chiara Bisignani (NYLC, Midtown). Congratulations to both of them! Honorable mention of the 2017–2018 NYS TESOL essay contest for University and Adult Education category has been awarded to Tami Savir's student Alioune Sylla (Jackson Heights).

Both essays will be also published in the conference program book, which students will receive copies of. All winners will be invited to attend the student luncheon during the NYS TESOL annual conference on November 2, 2018 at the Marriott in Albany, New York. At the luncheon, they will be recognized and presented with certificates and an award of $100.00 for the winner. The instructors are invited as well.

NYLC thanks those organizers of the contest and is so proud of our faculty and students.

Scroll down to read the the award winning essay!

A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE THAT INFLUENCED MY LIFE (CHIARA BISIGNANI – NYLC) 

Every human being’s personality, heart, brain, history and past are built by memories. There is a shape, a particular shape, which distinguishes each of us. That is the reason we are different, unique and special; we are the result of the experiences we have, how we grew up, how our parents raised us, how much we have suffered and how much pain has touched our hearts. I think there is no time to grow up and change ourselves into a new person. We never stop learning, never. Every single moment we gain life from outside without even knowing it. That is the power of life. We learn something new that influences who we are. Every day we have an experience, no matter how small, that helps us to grow. After all, is the life itself a big, amazing experience? Sometimes we think that each day is always the same boring day, the identical routine that almost kills our happiness. However, this is not true! The truth is that every day is diverse because something different happens and shapes us. It is like the sunset, we think that it is always the same sunset, the usual color of the sky, but actually every sunset is special. Just try to look beyond and you will discover many shades of color. 

Now, let’s talk about huge experiences, like a trip. No matter the place, traveling changes you for better or worse, but I am sure that mostly it changes you for better. I want to share my personal experience here in New York City.

NYLC Students Win the New York State TESOL Contest!

Each year, in order to showcase the tremendous talents of English language Learners, NYS TESOL proudly sponsors a student project contest. As usual, the contest theme is framed within the shifting landscapes of the needs of our culturally and linguistically diverse society.
The essays were judged on relevance, organization and overall impact, idea development, content and details and literary style. 

This spring, New York Language Center students and faculty participated in a New York State TESOL sponsored essay contest and our students and faculty were winners for the second year in a row. 

We are so proud of our two Upper West Side  faculty members: Ivan Brave and Jarod Young and their students Semayat Oliveira from Brazil and Ilona Altschuler from Germany.

This week we are featuring the essay that won First Prize, beautifully written by Semayat. Scroll down to read the full essay. 

ABOUT STUDENT/WRITER:
Semayat Oliveira is a Brazilian journalist who graduated from the Methodist University of São Paulo. She is co-founder of the communications collective We, women of the periphery, which is managed by by seven women from low income neighborhoods in São Paulo. The project was born in 2014 with an article published in the Folha de São Paulo, one of the biggest newspaper in Brazil. The objective was to create new pathways to an alternative and inclusive media. Oliveira produces content as a reporter and is one of the managers of the collective. In October 2017, she will participate in The International Center on Journalists fellowship for Latin American journalists in Washington DC.

Locked Up: How to Support Mothers in Jail with Children Back Home

What is the cost of a kiss in the cheek with a “have a good night” from a mother at bedtime? It can be more important and expensive than bail, can change a life. 

"They have a million questions, they want to know where I’ve been". That's what Tanisha Bynum said about having to speak to her children about why she had been out for a while. She was arrested and far from them for days: no phones, no touching. When they finally met again, the kids were curious and she was worried. But, for sure, both sides were feeling relief. 

I read her story in Time Magazine, around May of this year. She is from Alabama and could have stayed for almost two months behind bars. She drove to the beach with a suspended license and got involved in an accident. The other car ran into her and, after the crash, the result was siting down and waiting in a local prison to go trial. Aside from being a mother of three kids, at that time, she was also two months pregnant. Her bail was around $10,000. She didn’t have the money to pay. Luckily, she had the bail paid by the "Mother Bail Out", a campaign for black women started this year on Mother Day by many movements for racial and social justice in different states.