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Word by word
By LOGAN NEILL SPRING HILL -- It is with a quizzical look that Suleyka Ortiz watches her fellow classmates as they make their introductions to each other. For the Springstead High freshman, it is all a bit confusing. While she may hear the words her classmates speak, understanding is a different matter. She has learned few words of English since she moved from Puerto Rico this past summer. Fortunately, her teacher, Cynthia Haring, is quick to read this on Suleyka's face and directs her new student's attention to a chalkboard where she has written the words: "My name is --." Gently, she guides the shy student through the phrase, repeating it several times as she points to the words. It is a slow, laborious process, but one that every student in Haring's class knows. At some point, they all experienced the same frustration as they grasped the language of their newly adopted country. "Every day brings a little more progress," said Haring, who is one of Hernando County's two full-time English for Students of Other Languages teachers. "This is why we're here -- to make progress every day." For the past five years, Haring has taught ESOL students in Hernando at both the middle and high school levels, helping them to cope with and hopefully succeed in their new academic environments. She now divides her workday between Central and Springstead high schools where she, along with two full-time ESOL aides, keeps tabs on the progress of about 60 students whose English skills range from limited to moderately advanced. It is clearly a job that Haring loves. "It's extremely gratifying, because I feel as though I'm helping to provide them with the tools for a successful life," says Haring, 47. "Many of them are extremely gifted academically but lack the communication channels to fulfill that goal." Indeed, Haring's students come from all over the globe, including Europe and Asia. However, most of her ESOL pupils are from Hispanic regions of South and Central America. Regardless of their origin, it is Haring's duty to see that every student learns enough basic communication skills to navigate mainstream courses. It is often difficult, she says, especially because ESOL students are expected to maintain the same academic levels as their English-speaking peers. "They probably work twice as hard as English-speaking students because everything they hear and read must be interpreted on the spot," Haring says. "Many have had very different school experiences in their native countries, and that alone can be a huge weight as they try to cope with learning in our country." Haring tries to unravel many of those problems in her ESOL classes. Offered as an elective at both schools, Haring's class seeks to focus on basic interpersonal communication skills by emphasizing practical use of the English language. While she is aware that many pupils speak in their native languages socially and at home, only English is allowed in Haring's classroom. "The students view it as a sort of common community where they are different, but at the same time very equal," Haring says. Class discussions often focus on the kinds of things that relate to teenagers, such as the kinds of courses they plan to take during the school year, how to fill out job applications and get driver's licenses. "I want to get them to try to relate more deeply to their new culture instead of seeing themselves as outsiders," Haring says. "Hopefully, they go out into the world more confident in themselves and more willing to expand their horizons." Haring, who speaks Spanish and French, seldom acts as an English translator in her class. Because she has more than 15 Spanish-speaking students at Central and Springstead, the state funds salaries for language aides. At Central, Rosalind Padilla often accompanies those with less English-speaking skill to classes. ESOL aide Milva Rodriguez does the same for students at Springstead. Haring admits that her non-Hispanic students often end up shortchanged when it comes to learning to speak English. Because no money is available for aides, students who are outside of Haring's foreign language skills must rely more on themselves. "I try to find materials to help them, and occasionally I can locate someone in the community who's willing to help, but it's much tougher on them," she says. "Thankfully, most of them are very smart and tend to get by very well." Haring, who spent several years as a professional folk singer and songwriter before becoming a full-time ESOL teacher, often uses music and art in her class. She frequently digs up folk songs in various languages and shares them on her guitar with her students. "It gives them a little bit of a cultural bridge that they may not otherwise have," says Haring. "They love it, because it's something special they can share among themselves." While Haring says she is generally pleased with Hernando's ESOL program, she laments that the effort to serve non-English-speaking students may not keep pace with demand. The past several years have seen a reduction of in-school ESOL teachers even as the non-English speaking population, particularly Hispanic, continues to grow. More and more, she sees first-year high school students whose basic English language skills lack the development necessary for academic success. Said Haring: "Those basic communication skills, hearing, speaking, reading and writing are not being taught in class in kindergarten through eighth grade like they were when I started teaching here. I have parents tell me all the time that their kids' schoolwork is suffering because it's difficult for them to find help. "It's a problem that we're going to have to address seriously at some point very soon. These are kids who want to learn, and they need the means in which to do that."
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From today's Hernando Times Letters |
