Free English School

The Free English School is a student-centered language program for queer and trans non-native English speakers. Classes are led by Terran, a trans collective member at Lupinewood with 13 years experience teaching and coordinating programming for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in his community.

The program is for beginner through advanced learners and tailored to each student’s needs, interests, goals and dreams. The curriculum is co-created between student and teacher and based on the content of the student’s life and current priorities: students practice the past tense while processing a break up or conjugate verbs while describing a drag show; whatever the student chooses to bring to class becomes the lesson. Starting from class #1, even for the most beginner-level students, classes are driven by the student.

Terran coordinates volunteer tutors who offer instruction outside of class for any student who wants to learn at a faster pace. He speaks conversational Spanish and works predominantly with Spanish speakers from Latin America who have limited formal education experience, but his background is working with mixed-language groups of speakers with a wide variety of previous educational experience. Speakers of any language with any level of prior education are welcome to enroll.

In 2019 an in-person language school was about to open at Lupinewood (kicked off by an arm wrestling fundraiser bash at a bar in the center of town), but covid meant the school had to open virtually. Classes are still virtual at this time, though the plan is to hold in-person classes when it’s safe to do so. Enrollment is rolling and there are currently some spaces available – message us here if you or someone you know would like to learn more.