ESL classes designed to teach everyone basics of English

Clases de inglés

Cualquier persona que quiera aprender inglés puede asistir las clases gratuitas en el NECC, 51 S. Center St., Millerton. Las clases se reunirán semanalmente los lunes y viernes a partir de las 6 p.m. hasta las 9 p.m. comenzando el 15 de octubre. Tanto las clases como los libros son gratuitos. Para más información contacte a: Evelyn Garzetta 917-705-9600.

MILLERTON — Non-English speakers have an opportunity to learn the language at free ESL (English as a Second Language) classes that will begin Oct. 15 at the North East Community Center (NECC) at 51 South Center St. in Millerton.

According to Evelyn Garzetta, director of the Grace Immigrant Outreach through Grace Episcopal Church in Millbrook, which is organizing the classes, the three-hour weekly sessions will begin with the basics and will require nothing in the way of background education. 

“Everyone is welcome regardless of what language they speak. If they want to learn English we’re here to teach them.” 

Garzetta said there is no charge for either the classes or the books, because potential students are “no different than any other American. They have to decide ‘do I put gas in my car, or buy food, or do I go to an ESL class?’”

Noting the dedication that learning a language requires, she said that typically while some ESL students have a high school education, “many of these people have not gone higher than the third or maybe fifth grades.”

She added, “Some are in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s when it’s very difficult to learn a language. The older you get the harder it gets to learn something new. Not that you don’t want to, but life gets in the way. When you’re a child you have time to study and do homework. These people don’t have time to study and do homework. They have families and they have to work and they have to cook and clean.”

The process can be further complicated by other factors that may force them to miss classes. Then, just as is the case when school children don’t study over summer vacation, they lose some of what they have learned. She noted the program runs year–round. It is available whenever needed. 

“If it’s a landscaper that is coming to my class, he might work from 6 in the morning to 8 at night during the spring, summer and fall. And that has a huge impact on him.” 

He might need to start over, and she wants to be there for him. 

Garzetta explained that NECC was chosen for the classes because, “There is a tremendous need. We do have a tremendous immigration population in Millerton that is many times not seen. Many times they have the jobs that don’t need to be seen.”  

She said the majority of immigrants do want to learn English, which this program will teach on a basic level.

“When they go through our class, they are able to then go to either BOCES [Board of Cooperative Educational Services] or Dutchess Community College to have the more advanced ESL classes,” said Garzetta.

As a means of improving chances for success, she said, “Our program ensures that we have bilingual teachers because in the past, we have seen that a lot of people that cannot speak English drop out of ESL classes because the teachers cannot speak their language and explain things to them.”

She said the volunteer teachers, many of whom are retired educators, “do not have to be fluent, but they do have to be able to understand a question and be able to simply answer it.”  

The program differs from BOCES and DCC, explained Garzetta, in that, “They are state mandated that they have to do one level and [students] have to go up to the next level; otherwise, they are taken out of the program — no different than being left back in a grade in the school system. But if we can give them that foot up — that handshake and pull them up and give them the tools to succeed even quicker, that’s what we’re here for.”

There is no limit to the number of students in the program. And Garzetta hopes word of mouth will help expand the program. 

“We can’t have a limit because turning someone away is not the right thing to do, and it’s not what our mission is,” she said. “That is my main concern: to be there for the immigrant population that wants to learn English.”  

Classes will be every Monday and Friday from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. at NECC. Students will register at the first class, which will be on Monday, Oct. 15.