A NOTE FROM JOHN KRANTZ
LITERACY VOLUNTEER TUTOR AT SACRED HEART CHURCH

I want to congratulate my class on all of the progress they have made this year.  I say that as I look forward to the milestones still to come in their quest to speak, read and write English. I am so very proud of every one of my students! Their efforts will soon have them interacting in everyday life in ways they never thought possible. Perhaps some of my students are already having these types of experiences and that is what keeps bringing them back week after week, still more eager with each coming class.

I also want to thank our organizer, Maria Sestito, who is the heart and soul of our ESL group. Whether it be taking care of details like dealing with the attendance and organizing the childcare or getting class started if I am running a few minutes late, Maria is always there to keep things running smoothly. Every Thursday Maria shows up at Sacred Heart Church with Flor, one of the most diligent students. Flor is very soft spoken and perhaps you might even say shy when it comes to her English. Despite this, Flor keeps working hard. Keep up the good work Flor, you’re doing great!

Right up front with me at every Thursday class is Sandra. Sandra is one of my best students in terms of comprehension. She is the student I look to when I’m having difficulty verbalizing a concept to the class. Thanks for your help Sandra.

Clear across the table sits hands down my most verbally identifiable student, Ana Maria. Ana Maria has been working hard this year and it’s easy to see the progress she is making in comprehension and pronunciation. Her determination will no doubt keep her giving her all until she has this language mastered.

The two students who I feel are the closest to becoming fluent in English are Martha and Sonia. These two women are the kind of students every teacher hopes to have. They make my job easier and help bridge the language gap between myself and the rest of my students, not to mention they always seem to have the right answers whenever I ask difficult questions.

Usually sitting next to Martha is Gloria. I think I need to ban Spanish from Gloria from 6pm -8pm on Thursday nights…If she only knew how well she was doing with her English she wouldn’t feel the need to speak Spanish!  Despite her tendency to fall back on her native tongue, I have all the confidence in the would that she will keep improving until she’s just as comfortable with English as she is with Spanish.

Not to be forgotten are the men, Pedro and Luis. Pedro is very bright, so bright that I’m pretty sure if someone could work one-on-one with him, he would speak English flawlessly in a couple weeks. He catches on very fast and isn’t afraid to make a mistake. Luis is great to have in class, he provides that comic relief we need when faced with the inconsistencies of English grammar. He’ll take it upon himself to come right up to the front of the class and write on the board until everyone is on the same page…whatever it takes attitude…I love that!

Last but certainly not least I want to say a big thank you and “job well-done” to my co-tutor Linda Depoto.  You’ve raised the bar and meshed very well with our group and I know I speak for the students when I say that we are thrilled to have you. Thanks for all your hard work.

At One of Our Small-Group Sites

Since September four LV tutors have been conducting twice-weekly literacy tutoring groups for refugees who have come here under the auspices of Interfaith Refugee Ministry (IRM). Literacy Volunteers was asked to undertake this work by IRM’s executive director, Tatjana Cisija, who herself had been trained as a LV tutor.  This is daunting work involving students who have just emerged from countries wracked by turmoil, war and persecution. IRM helps them with temporary housing and assists them in finding jobs.  Learning English is crucial to adapting to their new world.

The four tutors are Louise Ciulla, Abby Prestin, Meg Stevens and Allegra daSilva. Louise offered these thoughts on their experience:

Good teaching requires that you also enjoy learning.  At least, I’ve always believed this to be true.  Taking on the roles of both teacher and learner is what makes working with adults associated with the Interfaith Refugee Ministry both challenging and rewarding.

Our students come from diverse countries such as Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan and Viet Nam.  I try to imagine how I would fare learning a new alphabet as well as learning how to speak, pronounce, read and write an entirely new language.  It helps me understand what a challenge this must be for our students.  They are not only trying to learn English; they are learning with others whose backgrounds and languages are very different from their own. We must continually try new ways to reach everyone despite the diversity. Even so, from time to time four women who share a common language will erupt in laughter as they enjoy a good joke together.  It’s a reminder to us, who will never be privy to this humor, what it feels like to be “the outsiders.”

This is also a class of people coming and going.  How do we maintain continuity in our program?  We’re learning how to repeat material in a variety of ways with games, hands-on activities, dialogues and writing practice.

Our classes are also about an understanding of cultural identity and finding a common ground.  Recently we had a lively discussion about the exchange of wedding rings and the relative importance of jewelry for brides in Afghanistan, Liberia and the U.S.           

What we do know is that our students, who have full lives outside the classroom, come to learn. And they come with a warmth and willingness to work with us as we define and redefine our role as teacher/learner.

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