By BEVERLY BEAL
Beverly@newsroom.byu.edu
For Juan Reyes, a Mexican immigrant, learning the English language is not just a class for him, but is a necessity in the work force.
'I am interested in English because of my job, because I work with Americans and I want to communicate with them and I want to communicate with my boss,' Reyes said.
Although the English as a Second Language program has been around for over 15 years, the Provo school district is expanding the program so a greater number of adults can learn English.
'We want to teach them the English skills they need to function in an English society and so they are not excluded from any opportunities because of a language barrier,' said Jeri Swalberg, Director for the Center of High School Studies.
Many schools around Provo, like Farrer, Maeser, and Timpanogos elementary schools, are opening ESL classes for adults and are emphasizing the attendance of the school kid's parents.
Mandy Pitcher, a Site Program Technician at Maeser Elementary, said they just started the program in October.
'We brought the parents in so they can understand school terminology and many of them don't know any English at all, so they are starting out with words like left and right,' she said.
About one half of the adults learning English are parents of children attending Provo schools, said Juliane Murphy, a teacher for the adult ESL program at Maeser Elementary.
'They, as parents, want to know what is going on in their children's education. Their kids are learning English and they want to have something in common and communicate with their kids,' she said.
Many people think Latinos do not care about their kid's education, but they are not involved because they just cannot communicate and do not understand, she said.
'We want to help them better utilize the school system so they can participate in parent/teacher conferences and so they can help their kids do better in school,' Swalberg said.
The classroom not only consists of parents, but of adults that want to communicate better in this society.
Elisa Hernandez, a student in the ESL class at Maeser Elementary, said that she just wanted to learn because she is in this country.
'We want to learn because we are living in this country and we want to learn the language. English is one of the most important languages in the world,' she said.
The focus of the class is to help the people communicate their message to others, said Murphy.
'It is frustrating when I can't understand what Americans are saying and what little I have learned in the class has helped me understand everyone at work,' Reyes said.
This community program makes it easier and cheaper for adults to learn English, Murphy said.
'There is free child care and the class only costs $10 per person for a ten-week period,' Pitcher said.
The ESL class is held at Maeser Elementary on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6-8 p.m. Timpanogos Elementary is also holding classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the same time period. Farrer Middle School will be opening its ESL program in a couple of weeks.