Population Served:
29,747 Project Contact: Michelle Detterick Project Title: Keys to the American Dream Project Description: “The American Dream Starts @ your library” grant has funded the purchase of two laptop computers equipped with software designed to increase speed and ease of acquisition of English, improve English communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, and increase computer skills. Bilingual books and materials valued in excess of $1000 have been added to the public collection of the library. The needs and input of local English language learners directed the expenditure of the grant and the purchase of bilingual materials, books, and software. |
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The We Learn English class has resumed this fall with an expanded curriculum. Computer basics and computer assisted instruction is now part of the weekly conversational group available to all interested English language learners. This fall the four-year-old project of Literacy Link - Leamos program has expanded the number of its study groups to four. Morning and evening groups meet in Silver City at the Public Library and two evening groups are held in the neighboring community of Santa Clara. The groups welcome all adults who want to learn more English and are available free of charge, including books and materials. The primary purpose of the groups are to increase English communication skills of individuals through speaking, reading, listening, and writing activities.
Notable accomplishment, promising practices, or human interest stories: Keys to the American Dream has opened the door to the 21st century for Julieta, a first time computer user and English language learner. As one of the learners who gather weekly on Thursday mornings at the public library with two tutors of Literacy Link – Leamos for the We Speak English class Julieta now has the opportunity to gain basic computer skills and computer assisted English instruction. The welcome mat has been rolled out for her as laptops purchased as part of the American Dream Starts @ your library grant funded by the Dollar General Foundation are available before and during class. Keys to the American Dream has melded the strength of two established literacy sources, the Public Library of Silver City and Literacy Link – Leamos. Patricia and Elizangela are both examples of ways the public is benefiting from the collaboration of the library and the literacy program. Patricia first learned of the free tutoring and English language instruction available through Literacy Link – Leamos on her first library visit as a newcomer to our community several years ago. Since that time, she has taken advantage of every opportunity to improve and practice speaking English. With a daughter in high school, she knows some about computer basics but now she has the opportunity for a weekly hands-on experience for herself. After learning about some of the services available at the library during the weekly English class, Elizangela has become a regular at the library’s preschool story time. Mother and son are building their English vocabulary skills together as they delight in the lively gathering of children and parents around a book and a storyteller during this weekly read aloud time. Two keys for achieving the American dream, proficiency in English and computer skills, are being struck weekly in the lives of the participants of We Speak English
Key lessons
learned: The primary lesson that I have learned during this project is not one that is new to me or others, earth shaking, or easily retained—that may be why I am learning it again. Time management needs to be allocated time and thus expense for its successful accomplishment. Meetings with local project partners, researching materials, ordering of materials, and project reporting need to have a specific allocation of time and thus the cost of such essential practices and activities included in the project budget. They aren’t going to go away so it is much wiser to plan for them, double the amount of time you think they will take, and, then the kicker, stay within the allocations.
Please feel free to email me this reminder when I start my next new project! I am trying to install this wisdom in myself by calculating daily for 30 days the time needed for “administrative tasks” and then sticking to it. 30 days and it’s a habit, right? Time to move on….
Advice for other libraries serving adult English language learners: Adult English language learners are unique in some ways from other adult learners but the primary points to remember when working with any adult holds true. Perhaps they are of even greater importance for successfully reaching this specific group of learners. I consider the primary points to be relationship, respect, and relevance. A relationship of trust and respect is essential to reaching into the community in your locale which needs English language skills. This community may be isolated from your normal route to the library, the shopping mall, and your social, civic, and religious affiliates. Try a different route or store for a week and see who you might meet. The relationship of trust and respect is not easy to establish and must be invested in to be maintained in ways that your program may not have known as best practices previously. I have found the adage ’if you build it they will come’ as not true when working with English language learners. Program directors must seek the lead from the learners and not be tempted to charge ahead of them. Seeking the lead of another person is viewed as a respectful attitude and practice by many cultures and people groups.