On Becoming a Group Worker

Abstract

Although agency-based adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes provide the language skills that new immigrants and refugees seek, these classes often miss an opportunity to address their social and emotional needs. The author of this article, a second-year MSW student, traces how his approach to teaching ESL evolved as a result of studying group work. In this article, the author demonstrates how his new knowledge of social group work concepts (i.e., pregroup planning, stage theory, and mutual aid) enabled him to transform his ESL classroom into a group-learning environment where language skills were developed and social-emotional needs were met.

Keywords:

• classroom teaching
• social group work
• pregroup planning
• mutual aid
• group work education