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Breaking
the Language Barrier
SINGING A NEW TUNE - Listening carefully, an ESL teacher helps a student learn a second language. The Fayetteville Adult Education Center offers free ESL classes to adults on every weekday, excluding Fridays.
Photo by Courtney Ullrich
Student Feature Article
Breaking the Language Barrier: Free Language Classes for Non-English Speakers
FHS student author Deya Trejo-Moreno is Staff Artist for the FHS Register newspaper.
Imagine standing in line to order at Burger King. When asked what you want, you realize you can’t make your order because the cashier doesn’t speak your language. You’re limited to using your hands and a few words to communicate your ideas.
How would that make you feel?
People live like this every day in Fayetteville, and it doesn’t just include ordering food at a restaurant, but also applying for a job, demanding an explanation, communicating thoughts, and asking a question.
The Adult and Community Education (ACE) Web page reports, “Life can be challenging enough when you speak the language, but when you don’t speak or understand English, it can be even more difficult.”
In order to help non-English speakers, the Fayetteville Adult Education Center (FAEC) offers free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adults during the morning, afternoon and evening.
The purpose of FAEC is “to provide the adult population of Washington County the opportunity to become self-sufficient, self-reliant, contributing members of society.”
“ESL is just part of adult education, always has been,” said Kathy Spigarelli, the person in charge of the 40-year-old program.
These classes are divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
“(There are) about 300 to 400 (students) a year, (with an) average of 26 (years old),” Spigarelli said.
To teach those who do not speak any English, picture dictionaries are used. They’re taught basics such as the alphabet, and learn to distinguish pronunciations from other languages, according to Patricia Hays, an ESL teacher.
“I want (my students) to feel comfortable, confident about being able to learn English, and laugh about mistakes,” Hays said.
It seems like the goal is being accomplished.
“It’s very interesting. The teachers are very dynamic,” said Nelson Estrada, an English beginner student from El Salvador.
“It is helping me even if I have a little time, it is interesting and I like it,” said Ricardo Martinez, a student from Mexico, who is also a partner of Estrada.
The ESL classes are not just studying, but having fun with other students.
“I enjoy listening to their family stories and how they came to live in the United States,” Hays said.
Both instructors and apprentices have reasons for being involved in these classes.
“(I want) to exceed myself, try to earn my GED and finish college,” Martinez said.
“(What I like the most is) being able to help people,” Spigarelli said.
Besides ESL classes, ACE also provides citizenship and GEDs in English and Spanish.
“Students set their future language goals, and with the assistance of trained instructors and staff they begin working toward acquiring the language skills they need to become better employees or to improve their daily lives,” according to the ACE Web page.