Organization Spotlight: International Language Institute

November 7, 2019

International Language Institute of Montgomery County

For this month's spotlight, I reached out to Hallie Wallack (bio below) to share with us about classes offered at the International Language Institute (ILI).

Can you describe your history and how your organization came to be?
ILI, MD began as English House in 1995 as in independent school of English as a Second Language in Gaithersburg, MD. When the owner had to relocate to the west coast, the school was purchased by the owners of the International Language Institute in Washington, DC. Our program has two main goals: we prepare students for the transition to higher education institutions, and we also help the local immigrant population improve their language skills to better integrate into their communities.

We offer excellent quality of instruction from dedicated, professional teachers. We also provide a safe, comfortable place for students who are living far from home. They can come here knowing that the staff will care about their progress in and out of the classroom, and many people stay in touch after they move on.

Demographics of Learners:
Our students come from all over the world: South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The largest demographic is Spanish speakers, but we also have speakers of Portuguese, French, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Burmese, German, Russian, Indonesian and Arabic. There are about three times as many women as men. Occupations also run the gamut: engineers, housewives/moms, teachers, medical professionals, business owners, researchers, restaurant workers, carpenters, painters, landscapers and Uber drivers.

Recent Success Stories:
A Saudi student got his law degree, a Chinese student who was so insecure she couldn’t speak English out loud has finally begun speaking and participating in class, a Colombian student got her PhD, a Turkish student returned home and got a job working for an airline, a Brazilian student returned home and got a job working in luxury hotel, a Saudi student who transferred to flight school and now works as a pilot, and a Dominican student here on a green card who is learning helicopter repair in the army.

Hallie Wallack got her Master’s in TESOL from SUNY at Stony Brook. She taught in Switzerland, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and England in addition to the US. She came to ILI, MD in 2001 as an ESL teacher, and then became the Director in 2006.

Interview by Halima Ahmed

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Picture of WUMCO Help's location in Poolseville, MD.

MCAEL Partner Spotlight: WUMCO Help, Inc

By Kayla Savoy • November 1, 2024

On Friday, October 25th, the MCAEL staff had the privilege of visiting WUMCO Help's facility in Poolesville, MD. What began as a quick journey to distribute our Adult English Language Program Directories turned into an insightful tour of WUMCO’s expansive ESOL classroom, designed for local residents, and their food pantry, where they provide shelf-stable goods and fresh produce to the community. Supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, community members, and local Boy Scout troops, WUMCO is committed to addressing food, language, health, and financial insecurities in Poolesville and the surrounding areas. We are proud to partner with WUMCO Help , which began with MCAEL as a Start-Up Grant recipient in 2023 and then grew to become an Access Small Grant recipient the following year. To learn more about WUMCO and the good work of all of our current Grant Partners, click here.

Leadership Change at MCAEL

By Kathy Stevens • August 29, 2024

Dear MCAEL Community: I am writing to share with you that I will be leaving MCAEL as of early October. I have accepted a position as President and CEO at the Healthcare Initiative Foundation. After 12 years of stewarding and growing the coalition, our team, and the organization’s role in the county, it is time for me to pass the torch to new leadership and pursue some new challenges of my own. MCAEL is a strong organization that has proven the value of having one entity coordinate the work of the coalition to build a diverse network of adult English language learning opportunities. With the partnership of Montgomery County government, dedicated coalition organizations, and incredible supporters and volunteers, MCAEL continues to provide much needed and much desired English classes. With an incredible staff, the organization is well positioned to continue to meet the needs of our community. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served as MCAEL’s Executive Director. It has been rewarding to work alongside such a remarkably talented team, engaged Board members, dedicated program staff and instructors, and committed funders and supporters. While I'll miss MCAEL, the people I've worked with, and most especially the thousands of adult learners we have been able to support, I am excited to see MCAEL continue its growth and leadership in the county. The Board of Directors is meeting to identify the search process and timeline for a successor leader of MCAEL and that information will be shared as soon as practical. I will be working with the staff, board, and coalition to ensure a thoughtful and smooth transition. Thanks to you and the many other people who support MCAEL’s work, I am confident that the organization will continue to be strong and impactful. With gratitude, Kathy Stevens

Uber Impact

By Kathy Stevens • July 30, 2024

I’ve had to use Uber more in the last month than the entire last year while my car was out of commission. As you may know, the app offers you the option to indicate your comfort level with conversation. While I was trying to lean into just relaxing on the car rides and not talking much, I couldn’t help myself and quickly started conversations with my drivers. Many of my drivers were non-native English speakers, and they shared their experiences adjusting to a new country while not being comfortable with the language. Their stories echoed an all-too-common experience among immigrants in our community, who often work at jobs below their training levels. We discussed how to find English classes, should they be interested, and I was even able to connect one of my drivers to a workforce development opportunity. Sure, it would have been more convenient to have my car in working order so I could drive myself to work. But I never would have made these rewarding connections.