Connecting Through Literature

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By: Tanya Zauderer
ENP Volunteer

For the past couple of months, I’ve been tutoring Ethiopian-Israeli high school girls in English at one of ENP’s Scholastic Assistance after-school programs. Despite having taught in an elementary school for the past couple of years, I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of teaching English as a second language. The majority of my experience had been teaching native English speakers and I naively thought that, at most, the girls would only have a very basic grasp of the English language.

I am happy to say that I was proven wrong. That first day, I haltingly tried to introduce myself in Hebrew, only to be interrupted and urged to continue in English. Despite their different academic levels, the majority of the girls are able to not only have a pretty good understanding of English, but they’re able to read and write in English as well. All the girls are bright, intelligent, and most of all, eager to learn.

One of my favourite school subjects, both as a student and a teacher, has always been reading and literature. So you can imagine my delight when I saw that the girls were beginning to read Anne of Green Gables, one of my favourite childhood books. Working one-on-one with one of the girls, I was so impressed with her reading fluency and grasp of the story. Finding it easier to respond and express herself in Hebrew, she was able to answer every one of my reading comprehension questions correctly. It was fascinating to hear her thoughts about the book and how she related to the character of Anne Shirley. Even more remarkable, was to see how the girls gradually opened up and felt more comfortable expressing their opinion during a group discussion about one of the chapters. A lively discussion ensued over whether or not Anne’s apology was truly sincere.


I’m looking forward to continue reading with the girls and to hear more of their unique views about the book. 

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