No! 

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about English With Friends that scares off most potential volunteers.

If you’re hesitant to volunteer because you’re not a certified English tutor, nor do you have interest in ever becoming one, you’ll be happy to know that no one who volunteers with English With Friends actually teaches English.

Three ways EWF picks up where ESL leaves off:

#1 – While ESL (English As A Second Language) specializes in teaching English to people who have not yet learned the language, EWF (English With Friends) specializes in speaking English with people who have already learned the language.

We help people improve their language skills through conversational English. This gives them a chance to take what they’ve learned in classrooms and text books and practice it with a native speaker.

#2 – While ESL thrives in a one-to-many dynamic between one teacher and many students, EWF thrives in a one-to-one dynamic between one Conversation Partner and another.   

Nothing helps a person become fluent and confident as quickly and effectively as when two cross-cultural friends meet on a consistent basis to practice conversational English.  

#3 – While ESL uses material from language curriculum, EWF uses material from Bible workbooks.  

All of our workbooks contain 30 sessions, each with a passage from the New International Reader’s Version of the Bible. These workbooks include The P.R.A.C.T.I.C.E. Method and over 100 discussion questions, all designed to help you partner with the God’s Word and God’s Spirit to improve English and plant seeds that pave the way for Jesus.

This course iis specifically designed for Christians.

However, like a book for sale in a bookstore or online, the course is a product available for anyone to purchase, without requiring a Statement of Faith to be signed.  

Even still, the beauty of the workbooks I’ve created – which I train participants to use – is that the content comes straight from the Bible.

And though I don’t control who purchases the course, I do my best to ensure they have the opportunity to hear and solidify their understanding of the Gospel from the start. In fact, part of the training for all volunteers includes a lesson called Examine Your Faith First, wherein the gospel in presented clearly.

Not at all.

While it’s true that English With Friends is a Christian program designed to train Christians to use the Bible to help internationals improve their English and to learn about Jesus, it is not a bait-and-switch scheme.

Christians who go through the training will be instructed to offer this service to all internationals (even ones who are already Christians) free of charge, regardless of their interest in Christianity.

In every poster, announcement, and personal invitation, it should be communicated to internationals upfront what to expect: that English With Friends brings together English (the most popular language in the world), and the Bible (the best-selling book of all time), to enhance the lives of both Conversation Partners through cross-cultural friendship and conversational English. No strings attached. Most internationals are not deterred by this fact. They enter the country expecting to meet Christians and learn about Christianity.  

My training does not encourage pressure tactics whatsoever. Internationals are not merely potential converts. We do not reject and alienate those who refuse to respond favorably to the message of Jesus. Instead, we strive to create a non-threatening atmosphere where agreement is not required; questions are welcomed; and debate is avoided. We strive for humility and we treat people with dignity.

Yes, Christians should use this program to plant seeds of love and truth. They should pray for their Conversation Partner, and look for opportunities to share their testimony. But if their friend does wish to investigate Jesus and Christianity, that is something I encourage (and train) Christians to do in addition to; not in place of the regular weekly conversational English sessions.

Like most organizations and non-profits, English With Friends has it’s share of expenses necessary in order to maximize the quality and impact of our ministry.

As much as I’d like to offer the course for free, it’s just not possible. 

Incidentally, the price point is less than the average cost of a short-term mission trip. Just think about what it costs to spend a week or two serving in a foreign country. You’ve likely got administration and training expenses; along with passports and shots; airplane tickets and car rentals; as well as food and lodging.  

Not only does the ENGLISH WITH FRIENDS Course for Churches & Campus Ministries help your volunteers connect with someone from another country who is in our midst or online (often from places Christians are unable to go), but the opportunity last much longer than two weeks!

What especially excites me about all this is that when you invest in the ENGLISH WITH FRIENDS Course for Churches & Campus Ministries, you’re enabling your Conversation Partner to participate in this program 100% free of charge! Now that’s an irresistible offer, since the average private English tutor charges $25 to $55 per hour. With a 30-week commitment, that means you’re saving your Conversation Partner about $1,000 for each ever workbook you do together.