Professor Viiu Lawyer

Professor Lawyer is proud to be the "creator" and developer of our NJCU English as a Second Language Program.

Her philosophy of teaching holds that fostering the self-esteem of students is the essential basis of all successful learning. Many of her classes focus on cross-cultural topics and themes related to the lives and experiences of the diverse student population with their interesting variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

By presenting "real language" models for students at the appropriate levels, Professor Lawyer seeks to have students learn as quickly as possible the social/personal language and the academic forms required. Thus, by exposing them to segments of real dialogs, songs, short stories, lectures, etc. on film, video or recordings, the students acclimate to the academic language utilization, which allows for successful mainstreaming.

In many of her classes, she uses "oral journals"--taped interactive language on cassettes (students talk to her on specific topics and she responds to them). This becomes a totally personal, one-on-one aspect of the course. In this manner she can privately focus on a student's individual needs, be it grammar, pronunciation or vocabulary.

Recently, Professor Lawyer executed a major component of a grant project, "Successful Mainstreaming of LEP students Through Enhancement of Academic Support Services." Called "Perspectives on Success" and created with Professor Claire Monroe, the grant is a video-based model for enhancing ESL student success in American culture.