Get inspired by some of DynEd’s English Language Learners from around the world…
Seven-year-old is among DynEd’s top English Language Learners!
Meet Dmytro, a first-grade student at Great Oaks Elementary in Round Rock Independent School District, in Texas. Dmytro has completed 124 hours of DynEd courses since he began studying with the DynEd Kids English program in September of 2019.
“Dmytro is amazing,” says Julie Hammond, ESL educational assistant at Great Oaks. “He is our best DynEd student ever!”
‘Amazing’ is just the word to describe this young English learner’s determination. Not even COVID-19 school shutdowns have deterred his progress—Dmytro completed two entire levels from home with DynEd’s online solution. He even made top Mastery Test scores in both!
Dmytro is now back at Great Oaks Elementary and recently completed the first course in the DynEd Kids series.
Dmytro is an inspiration to English language learners of all ages. His dedication, coupled with a supportive English teacher and a program that adapts to his specific learning needs, has prepared him to succeed in an English-speaking elementary school.
The Secret to English Fluency—Determination, Dedication and DynEd
For many of us, learning a second language is something we do for fun or to prepare for a trip abroad. But for Verenice Rivas, learning English meant being able to better adjust to her new life in the United States. After struggling in her efforts to learn the language by immersion, Verenice decided to enroll in the Intensive English Program at El Paso Community College (EPCC) in Texas.
“I knew that studying English was necessary in my life. I wanted to communicate better with my husband, his family, my new friends, and to get a better job,” says Rivas. “It was for these reasons that I invested my time and dedication to learning English,” she added.
With the guidance of Michelle Lopez, EPCC’s Language Institute lab facilities supervisor, and her coaches, Rivas embarked on her English-language journey with DynEd in February 2017. Rivas’ Placement Test score started her as a true beginner (0.0). After 27 hours of study, however, she had completed the requirements for her A1 certification and was considered a basic English learner. “After getting my A1 certificate, I was motivated to get my next certification level. I think that’s when completing DynEd’s certification program became a personal goal,” Rivas explained.
Soaring High to English Fluency
Meet Cristina Pavón, a senior at Liceo Militar del Norte High School in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Cristina began her English studies with DynEd four years ago, as part of her school’s English requirement. In an effort to improve their students’ English skills, the school adopted DynEd over 5 years ago.
Starting at a basic A1 English skill level, Cristina was able to reach an advanced C1 level through hard work and determination. “My teachers motivated me to improve my English by working with DynEd, and it means a lot to me because my effort was rewarded,” says Cristina, who is now working towards her C2 DynEd Certificate. Cristina studied DynEd for an average of 3 times per week. “I enjoyed learning with DynEd because it’s a very dynamic program to study with,” she added.
Mrs. Monica Fontana, DynEd’s English teacher at the high school, adds that Cristina has become an inspiration to other students. “After studying with DynEd for four years her English skills have improved in an outstanding way,” attests Fontana. Cristina has not only improved her written and grammar skills, but she has gained the confidence to speak the language fluently.
Improved On-the-Job Communications.
Captain Trần Văn Nguyên is a Vietnamese military officer who works as an aircraft engineer. In 2017, he was a student at Global Aviation English (GAE), which wasn’t his first effort at learning English. Before attending GAE, he studied at English centers in Ho Chi Minh City, and also tried studying on his own. “I had problems with my pronunciation and my ability to communicate,” says Van Nguyen. Once he begun studying with GAE’s teachers and DynEd’s Aviation English courseware, his pronunciation began to improve.
Captain Van Nguyen’s progress reports today are extremely impressive. In just 6 months, starting as a beginner at the A1 English skill level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, he has reached a B2 level, which is a solid intermediate! He spent only 158 study hours with DynEd during that time period, in addition to the time he spent in the classroom with his teachers.
“DynEd is the most useful English language courseware to improve listening and speaking skills that I have known so far,” says Van Nguyen. “All of the teachers here were enthusiastic and quite friendly, and they were always patient to correct my errors. Moreover, having good facilities at the GAE center made us feel comfortable when studying,” he added.
After being in DynEd’s blended program at GAE for eight months, Van Nguyen felt that he could communicate with foreigners and experts in the aviation field confidently. “I am very grateful for the GAE center and my beloved teachers.”
Saber Zribi: An Inspiration to Other English Language Learners
Meet Saber, a DynEd student from Tunisia, who began studying with DynEd in 2013. An excellent student, Saber had the opportunity to study in Paris in a collaborative program run by his university in Tunisia and ENSTA Paris Tech, an elite technical college in France. In order to be accepted at ENSTA, he needed a score of 795 (out of 995) on the TOEIC Test of English Proficiency. On his first try, however, he scored only 120 points.
“For eight months, I was able to put in 300 hours of study time with DynEd,” says Saber, who believes that studying with DynEd was a very good way of learning English. During his course of study with DynEd, Saber was able to improve his language skills, including listening and speaking. He also attributes his success to the guidance he received from his DynEd coaches.
“When I started learning English with DynEd, I could not understand any words in English,” says Saber. By 2014, he had improved his skills enough that he was chosen to travel to England to complete an internship program. In 2015, after studying DynEd for a total of three years, he was able to obtain a score of 800 on the TOEIC exam! Saber also earned a DynEd B2-level Certificate.
Saber has now graduated from ENSTA Paris Tech and is on his way to fulfilling his career as an engineer.
Highest Marks on DynEd’s Academic II Program
Meet Nandayure Carbonell, a high school student from Colegio Santa Ines in Heredia, Costa Rica. Nandayure began studying with DynEd in early 2016, as part of her school’s English program. Although she reports that her studies started slowly at first, she quickly learned to enjoy them. “Now my English is way better. I can grab a book and start reading it without the help of a dictionary,” says Nandayure. “I now understand many things that I was never taught in normal [English] classes,” she adds.
DynEd Analytics show that Nandayure has been working very hard since February 2016, when her initial DynEd Placement Test level was 0.7. After 93 hours of study with DynEd, she not only has the highest Study Score in her class, but she has also progressed to a 2.7 level on the DynEd Placement-Test scale. In addition, Nandayure has gotten outstanding marks on her Mastery Tests. All of this hard work has raised her English level to an A2 skill level, as measured by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). “An A2 skill level is impressive,” says July Cano, academic advisor for Edutech de Centroamérica, a DynEd’s representative in the region. “It’s high enough for a student to be able to study high school in the U.S.”. “So far I’ve gotten two [DynEd] certificates this year and am working on the third one; my effort is paying off,” said Nandayure proudly.
9th Grader is the First to Receive a C1 Certificate!
Sebastián Bogantes Álvarez is the first student at Centro Educativo Horizontes (CEDHORI) in Alajuela, Costa Rica to complete the C1 skill level, as defined by the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). As if this was not impressive enough, Sebastián is the first, and one of only three DynEd students in Costa Rica who has earned a C1 certificate in the DynEd Certification Program so far!
“I feel very proud, and I know this will help me a lot in terms of professional and personal development,” he says. And he’s right! A C1 level on the CEFR reference scale means his English skills are on a par with or better than many ESL professionals that enter the global workforce—pretty impressive for a 9th grader!
Ever since he took his first Placement Test in February 2014, Sebastián realized he had to work hard to accomplish his objectives. “I have been studying 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week,” he says.
When asked how DynEd helped him achieve his goals, Sebastián mentioned how much his listening and vocabulary skills have improved, along with increased fluency and confidence. “Getting English students to raise their confidence level is a great benefit to their overall language learning goals, and DynEd does this very well,” says Josue Montero, general manager for Edutech de Centro América, one of DynEd’s authorized distributors in Costa Rica.
“I am only a 9th grader and I already have a great English level—I still have two more years of high school to go, and what I have already learned is going to help me move forward with my dreams of studying at a university,” says Sebastián. “And why not at a university in an English-speaking country?” he added. DynEd wishes Sebastián great success as he continues to excel in his high school studies and beyond—know no limits!
DynEd Students at MATC Reach English Fluency Faster!
Lisa Fabian-Albert, an ESL Instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin found DynEd when she set out to find a comprehensive program for their English students.
“We conduct a workshop class where students learn at their own pace. We were using a book with a study guide to track student progress and had also tried a variety of software programs,” says Fabian-Albert. “But we needed something that taught students listening, reading, pronunciation, writing, and reading skills.”
After studying with DynEd, Fabian-Albert’s students are learning English faster than before. “We are able to have a workshop class with all 6 levels in the same classroom. DynEd’s program provides us with this opportunity.”
Phuong Luong, a DynEd student who attends Fabian-Albert’s workshop with the goal of improving his pronunciation says, “I have been able to reach my pronunciation goals by listening to the model, repeating many times, and listening to my voice.” DynEd study records indicate that when Luong started studying with DynEd over two years ago, he was at an A1 skill level, based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Today Luong’s skills surpass the B2 level on the CEFR scale—the target level necessary for students learning other subjects in English at the university level!
DynEd allows Fabian-Albert’s students to learn at their own pace and the program’s instructors are able to provide students with conversational activities, in addition to providing good coaching. “The Records Manager makes tracking student progress easy, and allows us to easily show students what they should do next,” explained Fabian-Albert.