The church began its English as a Second Language (ESL) program Jan. 4 with funding from the Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services grant. The program has over 60 registered students, 20 mentors, and two teachers. During the 10-week session, classes meet Mondays and Thursdays in the mornings and evenings.

“We started the program because of the obvious need in the area,” said Schafer, “and the belief that the church should be in the community. For any human, language is the key to understanding and wisdom. If you are in a country where you don’t know the language, you are cut off from so many things. You are a prisoner.”

The two-hour classes are informal. Students trickle in during the first half hour, find their seats, open their books and answer questions. Some students come straight from work. Mentors offer coffee and donuts during a mid-class break for those who skip dinner to attend.

Teacher Janice Curtis, a certified ESL teacher, uses games and family pictures to help her students learn new vocabulary and practice verb tenses.

“What are the people doing in this picture?” asked Curtis and slowly moved the picture down the row of students. “Don’t answer until everyone has seen it.”

Students shout: “Exercising. Riding bicycles.”

“Can you believe it? That was me 15 years ago,” Curtis said and smiled.
Curtis’s daughter Alexa serves as a teacher’s aid and tutors one of the younger students. The pair works with a bilingual computer program and reviews vocabulary together.

The majority of students’ first language is Spanish, but the class is open to anyone who wants to learn or improve speaking English. Ages vary as widely as proficiency levels. A brother and sister, who attend the class regularly, moved to the United States at the end of December without speaking a word of English. Norma Blake, who sits next to them, is brushing up her English to attend college for hotel and restaurant management.

“I enjoy this class,” said Blake. “It’s good. I want to read and write better. I was in college in Chile and I would like to go to college here.”

“This is our trial run,” said one of the program organizers, Brooke Steinle. “We would love to have more classes for students on different levels.”

Although organizers Steinle and Patti Brown see room for improvement, they feel it’s been a runaway success.

“The enthusiasm is infectious,” said Brown. “I think everyone involved feels like they are part of a mission.”

Registration for the next 10-week session is March 14 and classes begin March 22. For more information call 227-3066.