At the IRC - Los Angeles office, several students, all from Iran, settle in to watch a Seinfeld episode, The Jacket. In the episode, Jerry purchases a wildly expensive jacket with a loud pink and white striped lining, and later, he and George are forced to engage in nerve-wracking small talk with Elaine’s contrarian father.
While viewing the episode, students jot down any questions they have about the show. Welcome to IRC Caseworker Adam Cameron’s Cultural ESL class.
“I wanted to have a class where we watched The Simpsons and I explained the jokes, but it ended up being bigger than that,” says “Mr. Adam,” as the students call him.
IRC-LA’s Cultural ESL classes utilize popular culture as a tool to improve students’ English skills and to explain colloquialisms, expressions of humor and nuanced issues that those born in the U.S. take for granted.
“What is ‘pipe down’ ?” asks Nejdeh, a newcomer from Tehran.
“What is ‘heading to dinner’?” Alina, another student, inquires.
In Iran, Nejdeh and his wife, Melania, enjoyed popular U.S. television shows like Desperate Housewives and CSI, but Nejdeh explains that “we are new to this country, and the class helps us to better understand the American lifestyle. And we learn many words we never heard before.”
“I once had to explain ‘cuddling.’ And it was a truly traumatizing experience for all,” jokes Adam.
Enjoyment and lightheartedness are key characteristics of the class. Alina expresses the student consensus, “It’s a fun way to learn!”
Cultural ESL classes run every Wednesday afternoon, from 4:00-5:30 PM in the IRC-LA Classroom. Any refugee, asylee, or low-income immigrant is welcome, and encouraged, to attend! For more information, please contact IRC-LA's Development Manager, Bari Turetzky at Bari.Turetzky@Rescue.org.
