Local ESL classes build community, career success

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is the fourth in a five-part series recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15). The last article will focus on food.

    The Spanish language lies at the heart of the Hispanic-American community. Latin Americans speak either Spanish or indigenous languages almost universally.
    However, career success and engagement with the mainstream culture in the U.S. remains largely dependent on residents’ ability to speak English. Today, many ESL classes are designed to promote bilingualism and the maintenance of traditional culture.
    In Holyoke alone, more than 100 students from a Spanish-language background are currently learning English, through programs organized both privately and publicly.
    Pedro and Erica Jofre run Ministerio Hispano and a second Spanish-language ministry in Sterling and started ESL classes at Zion Lutheran Church last year.
    Classes are held on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. Pedro said about 140 people came to last year’s fall and spring sessions, and they’ve seen about 30-35 people come to the class this season. The husband-and-wife team is also facilitating a class at their Sterling ministry.
    “People know they need these classes for growing in this country and for getting ahead,” Erica said.
    The classes are free, and church affiliation is not required to attend. Two levels are offered, based on students’ proficiency in English. Diane Rahe teaches the upper-level class and Tara Edelen of Sterling teaches the class for newcomers.
    Many in the newcomer class aren’t just new to Holyoke, but new to the United States. Some of the students at a recent class had immigrated just a few months prior.
    Claudia Garcia came to the U.S. about two months ago with her husband and two sons. Neither she nor her children speak English, though her husband was fluent enough to be placed in the upper-level class.
    A central focus of the Ministerio Hispano class is community. Making friends with established members of the community is important for new arrivals, who may find themselves isolated upon coming to the U.S. The Jofres make food for their students and have a social period during class.
    Karla and Manuel Armendariz are also in the upper-level class and said that, while they had been able to develop a comprehension of spoken English, their ability to hold conversations in English has been greatly improved by the class.
    “Everyone from the church has been very helpful,” Karla said.
    On the north end of town, another daytime program offers free ESL classes for local Spanish speakers, including many stay-at-home mothers.
    Allie Balog is the executive director of Phillips County Family Educational Services and a former Holyoke JR/SR High School ESL teacher. She said that her program is another link in Holyoke’s ESL network, which includes Ministerio Hispano and Holyoke School District.
    “It’s great that we have multiple approaches here in town,” she said. PCFES offers two sessions per day, Monday Thursday, from 1:15-3:15 p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m., taught by Toby From.
    Balog said the courses provide a more structured approach to English learning, with the additional option of taking a GED prep course that Balog teaches.
    Many young people who have graduated from high school in Mexico find themselves in a difficult position upon immigrating to the U.S. Balog said that even high-school-aged children are ineligible to take high school courses if they have already graduated in their home country. Earning a GED can help immigrants establish their credentials in the U.S.
    Balog said about 36 students were enrolled between the two classes, all of whom come from a Spanish-language background. Other students are stay-at-home mothers, who are offered daycare services through PCFES.
    The classes began last fall when PCFES secured funding through a partnership with Northeastern Junior College in Sterling.
    Balog said ESL support is a necessary part of sustaining Holyoke’s multicultural community and promoting more Spanish speakers into administrative and managerial roles.
    At Holyoke School District, instructors are also working to maintain the balance between giving students the tools to succeed in the U.S., while also celebrating their cultures of origin.
    Yesenia Bencomo has been working as an ESL instructor with the school district for 14 years. She said that since she came to Holyoke, she has seen more Hispanic families settle down, in addition to families who make up the regular flow of migrant workers.
    “It’s amazing to see a kid come in with very little or no English ability, and then being able to have a conversation with them a few months later,” she said.
    On top of helping students succeed with their English-language coursework, Bencomo said she and the other teachers at Holyoke Elementary host cultural activities that develop all students’ understanding of Hispanic culture.
    Past activities have included making piñatas and papel picado and hosting baile folklórico dancers. Bencomo stressed that the point of the school’s ESL program was to promote multiculturalism and bilingualism, rather than homogeneity.
    Bencomo was raised bilingual. She said that for her and other teachers with a Spanish background, one of the most important benefits of knowing the language is building relationships with parents, and that parents without an English background can still help their children by developing their fluency in Spanish.
    Rebecca Koellner is a first-year ESL teacher at Holyoke JR/SR High School. She said that while part of her job was supporting students who are struggling, teaching English was also about giving her students the tools to achieve their personal and career aspirations.
    “They may not know all of the language, but they want to belong, and they have goals for where they want to be after high school,” she said.