Volunteers help bridge language gaps

By Danielle Strenke
North Branch Primary School was host to 20 students, their parents, 10 volunteers and teachers in an international celebration May 29.
The group gathered to recognize the achievements of the students and the dedication of teachers, parents and volunteers during the first year of an elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the North Branch school district.
Teachers Anne Lawrence and Carmel Murphy worked with 20 students in 1st through 4th grades in the 13-week course, which met once a week and was designed to help students succeed in school and socially as members of the community.
Lawrence and Murphy teach 86 students district-wide in ESL courses. Lawrence teaches 1st -through 3rd-graders and 9th -through 12th-graders, while Murphy teaches kindergarten, 4th- and 5th- through 8th-graders.
ìWe thought of offering it as an after-school program to help them with listening, speaking and writing,î Lawrence said. ìWe also thought it we could get people in the community to help out, it would give the students familiar faces they would see in the community.î
Lawrence and Murphy found 10 volunteers in the community, as well as student volunteers.
Half the volunteers were adults of various ages and backgrounds, the other five were 8th through 11th graders in North Branch.
Students from a variety of cultural backgrounds enrolled in the ESL program, but most speak Hmong, Spanish or Oromo ñ an Ethiopian dialect ñ as their primary language.
The international banquet was to celebrate the end of the program for all the students, parents and volunteers.
ìWe used it as a way to say thank you to the parents as well because it was after school and transportation wasnít available for the students,î Lawrence said.
ìIn reality, thatís asking a lot of the parents.î
Lawrence said 18 of the 20 students attended.
The event featured foods from China, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Ireland and several other countries.
ìWe had foods representing the cultures of the volunteers as well,î Lawrence said. ìIt was kind of a cultural exchange.î
Shyness in the classroom can be one of the most difficult challenges for ESL students, Lawrence said.
ìTheyíre intimidated and so they donít talk much or donít know the social dos and doníts,î she said.
Lesson plans for the program incorporated three activities during each session.
Lawrence and Murphy reviewed the lessons with the volunteers, who worked individually with the students.
Activities included math, writing and reading, during which either the student would read aloud or the volunteer would help.
One of the activities each week always included a craft or game.
ìThe games were to improve their social comprehension,î Lawrence said.
Lawrence said she thought the first year of the elementary ESL program was very successful.
Several teachers told Lawrence they had heard students talking to others after their ESL lessons about what they did in the classes, Lawrence said.
Lawrence said she took that message as a compliment to the program.
ìThatís a good way to measure whether or not they liked it.î
She said ESL students who shared the program with others also improved their general communication skills.
The program was funded through North Branch Community Education.
Lawrence said she would like to offer ESL to kindergarten through senior high students next year; but the program needs money and volunteers to stay alive, she said.

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