The Center for English as a Second Language is putting on the International Teacher Assistant Training Program – a workshop intended to help ITAs sharpen their English. ITA Coordinator Cheryl Ernst said the program started in the 1980s in response to an increased amount of foreign students coming to American universities. She said SIUC was one of the first universities to have a complete program.

Marilyn Rivers, director of the Center for English as a Second Language, said ITAs applying for graduate school are required to take an oral interview test. The three-hour-a-week training is designed for those who did not pass the test; it is recommended as needing extra language help or just want to polish their speaking skills. Rivers said the program is tough for many ITAs. “It’s quite a time commitment for the ITA because they have very, very busy schedules,” Rivers said. “They’re taking their own classes, they’re teaching classes and then they have to put in these three hours.” Arifin Angriawan, an ITA from Indonesia who took the class twice, said it greatly increased his ability to speak and pronounce English. He also said he learned about American culture and methods he could use to teach students. (more…)

search for : English as a Second Language

It was the fall of 2005 and the application initially seemed like any other for a library card Jacquie Pooler had ever seen at the Plum City Public Library. There was a slight problem, however. The person submitting the application, Martin, a third grader at the time, only spoke Spanish and Pooler, the library director, only spoke English.

Getting a hold of those interested in signing up for those classes proved to be difficult, as the only way to communicate with them was by putting up street signs written in Spanish and posting flyers at local businesses, for example. As for the future schedule of classes, Pooler said it’s set up only through the first week of February. “We try to make sure they don’t fall behind because it’s such a weight on their shoulders,” she explained. “It’s an intense 90 minute night, but we try to make it fun.” And for those in Plum City whose first and only language is English, Pooler believes this idea has gone over well. “A majority of people like the idea,” she said. “It’s a positive step for Spanish speakers to learn English.” (more…)

search for : spoke Spanish, learn English

Americans might not read novels on a regular basis, but they certainly read: From street signs to nutrition facts, warning labels, headlines, job applications and memos, the list goes on. However, according to the National Adult Literacy Survey, nearly 20 percent of adults in Duval County read below a fifth grade level. That level of illiteracy makes everyday reading and writing a hardship for more than 150,000 local adults.

The library’s program has the resources to help students age 18 or over who read above a second-grade level and below a seventh-grade level. The staff also started working with English-as-a-second-language (ESL) students in 2000, adding special courses that currently serve people from 49 countries. The classes focus on speaking, reading and writing English. Hastings said ESL and literacy students average between 35 and 45 years old. The ESL students tend to progress more quickly because they often have better educational backgrounds than those who are functionally illiterate, according to Hastings.
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search for : Duval County, English-as-a-second-language, ESL, ESL students

Antonio (Tone) Correa will be 98 next month and the man shows no sign of slowing down. Why should he? “I’m busy,” the Orange resident explains. “It’s what keeps me young.” Busy indeed. Correa drives himself to the senior center where he loves to dance. He’s writing three books. In his spare time, Correa volunteers with READ Orange County, the adult literacy program of the Orange County Public Library. Bob West, outreach volunteer coordinator for READ/OC, estimates that Correa has spent well over 2,000 hours teaching 40 adults to read and write in the past decade.

Programs offered include Families for Literacy, where parents learn alongside their preschool-age children; Working for Inmate Literacy Now, where prisoners in O.C. jails hone their literacy skills; and English Language and Civics Education, where nonnative English speakers cover subjects ranging from nutrition to employment skills. As for Correa’s students, a few are learning English as a second language. “I tutor a Korean student who wants help with pronunciation,” Correa says. At one time, Correa worked with a 72-year-old man who couldn’t read or write but was finally ready to learn. Currently, Correa tutors four learners twice a week, for a total of 16 weekly volunteer hours. “I’m just interested in helping,” says Correa. (more…)

search for : English Language and Civics Education

We had barely sat at the table before my daughter asked, “Ma, how do you feel about the word ‘preventative’?” Startled, it took five seconds before I responded, “I really haven’t given it much thought. But now I will. What’s the matter with the simpler word ‘preventive’? Are we going back to ‘at this point in time’ – making something longer than it need be?”

A couple of days I ago, I was talking with Jeff Krull about the changes in our library since I grew up with the old Andrew Carnegie building. I ended up discussing how vastly computers had affected our lives and our library. And he mentioned the next step, how pictures are being digitized. There’s a new word! And it’s not “digitalized”! In fact, my dictionary says digitalize has to do with treating with the drug digitalis to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. So now we digitize. Yes, the language is evolving and pronunciation is changing. My mother called the glorious long-stemmed flowers glad-eye-olus; the dictionary now says they’re gladeeolas. We used to say “har-ass” with stress on the first syllable, but the dictionary now gives preference to “har-ass” with emphasis on the second syllable. And new words are frequently added. Look at how many different meanings there are for the word “rap.” (more…)

In the past year, the Hispanic student population has risen 22 percent while the overall student population has grown only 3 percent. That growth has greatly enhanced the diversity within local schools, but it has also stretched local resources thin. “We need more people who understand the needs of the children,” said English as a second language teacher Margaret Nunn, who works at Meadowlark.

While the ESL population has increased by 48 students over the past year — bringing the total number to 129 — there are still only 2.2 full-time ESL teacher positions to work with those students. The ratio is actually far better than the one ESL teacher to 100 students that the state Department of Education recommends, but some teachers say it’s still not ideal. (more…)

search for : ESL population, ESL teacher, Department of Education

Amy Carrington planned to teach English in Mexico until her life took an unexpected turn. Now she teaches English to Mexican natives without ever leaving Montgomery County. Carrington, 31, learned Spanish in Crawfordsville High School and enjoyed annual trips to Mexico every time Spanish teacher Marilyn Britton organized the ventures.Amy eventually came up with a goal to do missionary work in Mexico. She even envisioned herself teaching English to the natives. She worked with churches and other organizations to secure support money for her work abroad.

She earned her teaching certificate and was ready to go. Now, Amy is in her eighth year as a Tuttle Middle School ESL teacher and wouldn’t trade the job for anything. Amanda now teaches ESL to elementary students. Most of Amy’s students are Hispanic, but others have been from Albania, Gambia and China. There are times when Amy’s ability to speak Spanish has come in handy, such as when Spanish-speaking families need a translator to order pizza. “The pizza calls are quite common,” Amy said. Amy’s family has totally supported the two sisters since the women became involved in the ESL program. (more…)

search for : teaches English to Mexican natives, Spanish teacher, ESL teacher, ESL

Indiana’s Hispanic population has grown significantly in recent years. From 2000-02, there had been an increase of 19,277. Montgomery County has also experienced an increase in the number of Hispanics opting to move to this area. This also means an increase in Hispanic students. Just this year, there were 176 total Hispanic students who attended county schools.

Crawfordsville Schools have provided more English as a second language (ESL) teachers since Hispanic numbers began to rise. Some of the teachers who work with the ESL program include sisters Amy (Tuttle Middle School) and Amanda Carrington (elementaries), Gail Merriman (Even Start adult instructor), Kerri Warner (Nicholson), Angie Brown (Nicholson kindergarten), Gloria Grigsby (Tuttle), Rochelle Drake, Hose teacher who works with the adult ESL program Beard, and Amy Neville (high school). “We have an incredible ESL staff,” Crawfordsville Superintendent Kathy Steele said. “We don’t know of any other staff that is more accommodating, caring and helpful to the Hispanic families.” (more…)

search for : Hispanic population, Hispanic students, English as a second language, ESL