English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) is a federally funded program for anybody who needs help learning survival English in order to live in the United States. It is offered through many local community colleges throughout the United States free of charge. 

June Narber taught at Wake Technical Community College from 2001-2005. She has also taught at Durham Technical Community College from 2001-until the present time. Her experience includes teaching all levels of ESL including workshops, advanced reading and writing, conversation, and job development. Her interests includes ESL administration and a potential language school funded by local non-profit organizations (making it financially independent from tax payers).

Current ESL programs are dependent upon the federal and state budgets. As annual budget crises hit, more and more ESL departments are going to come to realize they must become autonomous of the government and be self supporting. Local non profit and church participation are the key funding components of a more sustainable ESL program.

As the current program is administered, students are not asked for identification and teachers have hours of unpaid for paperwork that must be filled out for the federal government. In an autonomous program, all students would be asked for identification and the legal status determined. Terrorists could easily hide within ESL programs and none of these issues are remotely addressed by any community college system I've encountered. It is considered politically incorrect to mention it, but in this ever changing and dangerous world we live in, we must put safety of students above any fear of social political correctness. Why should American tax payers support current ESL programs that are largely for illegal immigrants? This is a serious question that must be addressed by the ESL community at large.

June's prior background includes international teaching experience in North Thailand among the Hilltribe people; ten years of tutoring international students as a volunteer; educational seminars, coursework, and training as an language provider. She is also an editor, writer, and trained public speaker. She holds a graduate degree in International Development from North Carolina State University with a concentration in anthropology and forestry issues; an undergraduate degree from Ambassador University in Liberal Arts with a concentration in theology and hundreds of additional college credit hours in education, social sciences, and interdiscplinary training.

June believes that from a wide cultural experience one becomes the best teacher possible. So many of the language training programs for ESL teachers are infiltrated by the liberal left in terms of political orientation and politics do not belong in training ESL teachers because it creates a bias against conservative values. For this reason, June does not participate in many of the popular organizations created for ESL instructors as they are political tools of the Democratic Party for promotion of rights of illegal immigrants. "It is through the traditional educational value system that core language is instilled. Sensitivity to different cultures is essential but of more importance is helping students to become adjusted to the American way of life as this is where they have chosen to make their home. This includes learning cultural expressions, values, social expectations, work values, workplace safety, family values, and opportunities that exist in the United States. Teaching American history including a basic understanding of the democratic nature of this country, the constitution, and responsibility as citizens is essential."

In addition to teaching part-time at two community colleges, June also does private tutoring. She has worked a great deal with Asian students from the following countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, India, Myanmar, Tibet and Cambodia. Having spent time abroad in Southeast Asia and having a cultural anthropological background, June is culturally aware of all regions of the world, but is very educated about the kinship systems, religious structures, political and social conditions and overall history of Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea specifically.

If you are interested in private ESL tutoring, please contact June.

June Narber • Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514