{"id":10629,"date":"2014-02-17T10:37:17","date_gmt":"2014-02-17T16:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?p=10629"},"modified":"2023-05-10T16:05:03","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T21:05:03","slug":"an-alternative-for-adults-to-learn-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/an-alternative-for-adults-to-learn-english\/","title":{"rendered":"An alternative for adults to learn English"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"ESL_j1\"<\/a>
Students Marleisa Quiles, left, and Lillian Lara, right, work with Javier Tapia (center) on the project to teach English to parents of students at St. Anthony\u2019s School.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The students come quietly, walking on a cold night from home or jobs, eagerly knocking on the locked door.<\/p>\n

Behind that door is a school library and a brighter hope for the future for these adults who are determined to learn the English language.<\/p>\n

This free English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) pilot program, which started in fall 2013, is a partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Education and St. Anthony\u2019s School on Milwaukee\u2019s South Side.\u00a0 Two 51ÁÔÆæ education students teach the classes to 20 adults twice a week.<\/p>\n

\"ESL_j3\"<\/a>
Many of the parents walk to the class after work. Here Lara works with a group on grammar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe had discussed the work Dr. [Javier] Tapia is doing with the community in class,\u201d says teacher Marleisa Quiles, a senior in Educational Policy and Community Studies (EPCS). \u201cWe saw how this work was able to make a difference, and I was excited to be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The class for parents and other adults in the community grew out collaborations Tapia, associate professor in EPCS, had developed with St. Anthony\u2019s, the largest Hispanic Catholic high school in the U.S. In working with the school, he found many of the students\u2019 parents wanted to improve their English. However, between working and raising families, they often couldn\u2019t find the time or the money to take formal classes.<\/p>\n

A grant from Hispanics for School Choice made it possible to provide a small stipend for the two teachers as well as supplies for the class, says Tapia.<\/p>\n

The parents face challenges beyond finding time and money to take classes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the adults haven\u2019t had to learn English, because Milwaukee is so segregated that they\u2019re not exposed to English and could get along well interacting with just the Latino community,\u201d says Quiles, who is majoring in Community Education and Engagement.<\/p>\n

\"ESL_j2\"<\/a>
Quiles answers a question from one of the students. Most are highly motivated to learn English.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition, says Lillian Lara, the other teacher for the class, \u201cthe reception outside the community isn\u2019t always welcoming to immigrants, so they don\u2019t try to speak English.\u201d Lara is in the second year of the Cultural Foundations of Education master\u2019s degree program.<\/p>\n

Quiles grew up not far from St. Anthony\u2019s in a Latino home. Lara, who is from Houston, grew up in a Spanish-speaking home. Both are fluent in English and Spanish. \u201cWe\u2019re from the community and they feel comfortable with us,\u201d says Lara. One student told them she had been trying for 10 years to learn English, and having the evening program right in the community encouraged her to try again.<\/p>\n

The students are motivated to learn for a number of reasons, say Tapia and the teachers.<\/p>\n

With immigration reform under discussion, many in the community believe that knowledge of English will be helpful in applying for legal status, says Tapia.<\/p>\n

Helping their children with homework is another reason many parents give for wanting to learn English. And, for others, learning English can help them find better jobs or move up in their current careers, says Tapia.<\/p>\n

For the 51ÁÔÆæ students, working in the community allows them to practice what they\u2019ve been learning in the classroom. \u201cIt gives them an opportunity to use some of their knowledge and skills from their classes in a practical application,\u201d says Tapia.<\/p>\n

The students agree. \u201cIt\u2019s a chance to expand on what we\u2019re learning in the classroom,\u201d says Quiles.<\/p>\n

For both, it\u2019s also an opportunity to serve. \u201cBoth of them are hardworking and committed to giving back to the community,\u201d says Tapia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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