ESL programs

Diocesan ESL Programs Help Immigrants Assimiliate

By Henrietta Gomes
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 6/7/07)

When Guillermo Guavera arrived in the United States from his native Peru he knew one of the first things he should do was learn English.
“You need to know English in this country if you want a better life … want to advance in your job … [and] to communicate with people who are around you,” he said. It was not the easiest thing, but Guavera enrolled himself in an English as a Second Language (ESL) class and persevered.
“It’s the main language that is used everyday and in every place,” said Guavera, who desperately wanted to be able to interact with others. He now serves as the coordinator for ESL at St. Anthony Church in Falls Church, to provide new immigrants with the same English conversational skills he once received.
When immigrants like Guavera arrive in the United States to start a new life, language is often the most challenging barrier in the adjustment and assimilation process. Many flock to pockets of their own culture to avoid having to learn a new language and find low-paying jobs quickly, while others understand the value of integrating into American culture.
Parishes around the diocese make it easier for immigrants to learn conversational English through ESL classes held in parish halls or school classrooms. The classes help immigrants adapt after they emigrate.
Many immigrants “come to the United States and they’re lost. They don’t know how to read or write … but they want to go higher,” said Martha Bibb, ESL coordinator at Queen of Apostles Parish in Alexandria, that started an ESL program more than five years ago.
Parish ESL classes are generally informal, which helps ease the fears of the students and encourages them to return. Usually the classes run from September through May and are held during weeknights.
When students arrive for their first class, many can barely say hello, according to Bibb. However, by the end of the semester, they are capable of having limited conversations and have the confidence to do well. Each year many return to enroll in the next level.
“Before I took the class I was always afraid to [speak in English],” said Huong Ly, who came to the United States from Vietnam in 1993. Now after one year of ESL classes, “I feel my English has improved a lot,” said Ly, who is grateful to have the opportunity to learn the language at a nominal cost of $25 at Queen of the Apostles. Ly is able to communicate with the customers that come in to the nail salon where she works in Alexandria.
In the last three years, Queen of Apostles has added a citizenship class for eligible students. Those classes specifically focus on familiarizing students with American history, general knowledge of the U.S. government and the law-making process.
Although Maria Clark has lived in the United States since 1949 and grew up speaking English, she never felt confident enough to take the citizenship test. The native of Italy has desperately wanted to vote for years. The semester-long citizenship class offered at Queen of Apostles gave her the information she needed and the confidence to take the exam. “It was such a fabulous experience for me,” said Clark, who said she felt a great sense of achievement after passing the exam and then participating in the citizenship ceremony two years ago.
Clark is the exception from most enrolled in ESL classes as many of them enroll to first learn English.
Generally people are longing to communicate, assimilate and find better jobs, said Carmen Rivera, who heads the ESL program at Holy Family Church in Dale City. At Holy Family, Catholic ESL students are invited to attend a children’s Mass to become familiar with Mass parts in English and build a stronger vocabulary. Because the priest is focusing his homily on the children, said Rivera, it is easier for beginner English students to understand.
In the last five years serving as ESL coordinator, Rivera has observed the dedication of the students to learn English regardless of the demands of family, work or school. Many ESL students have pursued GEDs and have been promoted at work, she said.
Aside from parish ESL classes taught by volunteer teachers, some parishes partner with Hogar Hispano, a division of Catholic Charities in the diocese, which also offers ESL classes similar to the parish programs.
Teaching English to immigrants in essence is “welcoming the stranger,” said Amy White, ESL coordinator for Hogar Hispano, which currently works with 12 diocesan parishes to help immigrants learn English. Aside from ESL, Hogar also provides immigration legal assistance and citizenship assistance.
While the students are mostly Spanish-speaking, there are many from Africa and Asia, she said. Regardless of where they are from, when immigrants arrive in the United States they are often very vulnerable and often exploited, White said. It is important for them to learn the language and become a part of American society. “We’re here to serve those in need … Especially the poor and those who don’t have the resources to better themselves,” White said.
Learning English empowers the students “to be full-fledged participants in society … and become successful in this country.”
It was the desire for that sense of empowerment that inspired Maria Celina Carrillo to learn English. The native of El Salvador arrived in the United States 22 years ago, but had not planned to stay. She just wanted to make enough money to support her family back home. However, six years later she was able to bring her sister and her two young children to the United States and then realized she needed to learn English. As she tried to make ends meet through her work as a babysitter, cook and maid, it was difficult to find time to learn a new language. Time flew by and just last year, Carrillo enrolled herself in an ESL class at Queen of Apostles.
“I am able to speak much better than before and understand much better,” said Carrillo, who thought at 55 she was “too old” to learn a new language. She knew, however, that after so many years in the United States she owed it to herself and the country to learn English. After only a year of ESL, Carrillo said she is much happier because she knows what is going on around her. Carrillo is grateful for the ESL classes at her parish and plans to enroll in the next level in September. “When we persevere we can do it.”

Henrietta Gomes can be reached at hgomes@catholicherald.com