Plum City library helps Spanish speakers learn English
| 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.”
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