Stacey Keniston was last year’s recipient of the Maine Adult Education Association scholarship, which supports teachers in enhancing their instructional practice.

Stacey Keniston of Turner recently completed a 15-week online course through Anaheim University to become Teaching Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)-certified. Keniston was last year’s recipient of the Maine Adult Education Association scholarship, which supports teachers in enhancing their instructional practice.

TESOL coursework provides a balance of foundational knowledge and real-world skills for teaching English as a second language. Candidates for certification learn how to plan lessons that incorporate materials relevant to the lives and interests of their students. The TESOL approach is to have students do more of the talking.

Keniston decided to apply for the scholarship to take the certification course because she wanted to acquire skills that would enable her to help her students become more successful. “Instead of focusing only on reading, I discovered that the power of learning comes through their listening and speaking skills,” she said. “I wanted to focus less on what I could teach them and more on what they could teach me about their strengths and weaknesses.”

To learn more about the learning opportunities available through MSAD 52 Adult Education, call them at 225-1010 or see www.msad52.maineadulted.org.