Literacy: Spanning the U.S.
Half
Moon Bay library offers literacy help to non-English speakers on the coast
El Tecolote:
2.21.2018 by Max Paik
Hoping
to improve literacy and English language skills, the Half Moon Bay
Library is offering a number of resources to the coastal
community.
The
library’s adult literacy program, which currently serves more than 40 active
learners in Half Moon Bay as well as twenty in East Palo Alto, is at the heart
of this effort.
The
program offers individual guidance in reading, writing, and speaking in
English.
“A
typical goal is to be able to read a book or a newspaper in English,” said the
program’s coordinator Joanna Arteaga La Spina.
Volunteer
tutors make up the backbone of the program. Once they have attended an
orientation and training session, they’re matched with an English learner. From
there, the pairs begin meeting for two to four hours each week.
Sessions
are entirely focused on the needs of the learner, which, in the past, have
ranged from general equivalency diplomas to citizenship tests to simply making
easier conversation. Tutors are present to provide learners with constructive
feedback on writing, reading, and speaking. Pronunciation, grammar and
vocabulary are all given particular focus.
“The
most important thing is that people claim their education and that they can do
so with our support,” La Spina said.
The
popularity of the adult literacy program is evident by the continuous waiting
list for new participants. READ MORE >>
Conversation
Circle Brings English Language to Life
Vineyard Gazette: 2.26.2018 by Holly Pretsky
If
you are learning to speak English on the Vineyard, one word you will run into
early on is “Patriots.”
In
a meeting room at the Oak Bluffs library the week after the Superbowl,
librarian Nina Ferry wrote the word on the whiteboard, then repeated it slowly.
Gradually, the rest of the room joined in.
“Pay,
tree, uhts. Pay, tree, uhts. Pay, tree, uhts.”
The
cluster of consonant sounds at the turn of the second syllable proved difficult
to pronounce for many of the people seated around the table. They had all
gathered for the library’s new weekly conversation circle,
an opportunity for non-native English speakers, mostly people from Brazil, to
practice speaking English in a supportive environment with the help of native
speakers.
Ms.
Ferry was a Rotary Scholar and lived in Fiji for more than two years after she
graduated from college.
“To
be placed in a country very far away, it really opened my eyes to what it was
like to be a foreigner,” she said. “You are the odd person out. And seeking
services, and even trying to find a library or go into any for-profit business,
you don’t know what’s going on. It’s completely uncomfortable.”
The
Tuesday night conversation circle is an early step in a larger initiative to
make library services relevant to everyone in Oak Bluffs, not just English
speakers. In April, the library will submit an application for a $15,000 grant
from the state’s Library Services and Technology Act funding to add more
resources for people who don’t speak English as a primary language.
The
librarians hope to include English-speaking Oak Bluffs residents in the
cultural exchange as well. English speakers are encouraged to come join in on
Tuesday nights. READ MORE >>
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Midland
literacy tutors change lives one learner at a time
Our Midland:
2.26.2018 by Kristi Kline and Lorna Strautman Legacy Center, Midland
Do
you want to make a positive difference in the world but are unsure how to
accomplish such a worthy goal? Consider becoming a volunteer tutor for The
Legacy Center for Community Success. When you help someone
learn how to read or understand the spoken language, you have changed their
world forever.
Since
a 2011 merger with The Literacy Council, The Legacy Center for Community
Success has been providing literacy services for adults and children in the
Midland area. Children struggling with reading are tutored using the highly
effective Barton Reading and Spelling Program. Adults receive literacy, math,
and work skills assistance through three programs: Adult Basic Education,
English as a Second Language, and Workforce Literacy at MichiganWorks! In 2017,
the Legacy Center and their volunteer tutors made a difference in the lives of
204 learners: 109 children in the Barton Program, 47 learners in Adult Basic
Education (ABE), and 48 in English as a Second Language (ESL).
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While
student literacy services always use the structured Barton curriculum, adult
literacy services are uniquely designed for every adult learner. Each adult
learner sets their own learning goals, is paired with a tutor, and The Legacy
Center provides the training, resources and support to accomplish those goals.
Sometimes an adult learner will need some literacy or math tutoring to help
them qualify for an employment opportunity. An ESL learner might desire
tutoring in citizenship, help in understanding content material from a class,
or instruction in applying for a driver’s license. Helping adult learners
master seemingly small steps can produce huge changes in their lives. READ MORE >>
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Delco
literacy council celebrates black history with global perspective
Delco Times:
2.26.2018
The
Delaware County Literacy Council (DCLC)
celebrated Black History Month from a global perspective with a potluck lunch
and educational program Feb. 14.
The
theme “Black History, A Global View: Many Threads, One Fabric” was selected to
celebrate all people of African descent, said DCLC Instructor Duane Belgrave,
Sr.
“Immigrants
from African and Caribbean countries are creating their own Black History as
they live in the United States and work toward their goals,” Belgrave said.
DCLC
Student Ola Olaseinde spoke at the event. Originally from Nigeria, Olaseinde
shared information about the Yoruba, an ethnic group in West Africa who speak
the Yoruban language. About 35 percent of people living in Nigeria are Yoruba.
Also
on the program were DCLC Student Carey Burns, who read “I Too” by Langston
Hughes, and DCLC Student Richard Barksdale, who read a haiku by Richard Wright
and gave some background information on the author. READ MORE >>
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