Meeting the Demand for English Language Learning - Poco a Poco

Our English Language Learning program has been well attended over the last three years.  It is a tutoring program, most of the time on a one-to-one basis, helping adults from over 40 countries learn English so that they can take advantage of the opportunities available to them now that they are living in the U.S.

Our new ELL Lab

The demand for ESL classes in our area is high.  At this writing we have 35 people on our waiting list, and that doesn't include the stack of applications that were waiting for me this morning when I came into work after a few days off.  Our average waiting time for a learner to be placed with a tutor is 85 days.  Not surprisingly, that is close to the 75 day national average that was recently reported by ProLiteracy, one of the leading literacy organizations in the U.S.

We train new ESL tutors three to four times per year and have a wonderful and dedicated group of volunteers, but it has become clear that we will always be fighting an uphill battle when it comes to meeting the demand. So . . . what to do?

In addition to establishing a weekly drop-in conversation group we were able to open a small language lab with the generous support of our library's foundation, the Greater Largo Library Foundation.  Four laptops, 4 copies of Rosetta Stone English, and four study carrels later, we  commandeered a underused study room and opened for business.

The response from our learners, tutors, and especially those on the waiting list, has been very positive so far. The Rosetta Stone name is familiar to many language learners and the program is quite intuitive.  Even for those with little to no computer experience, a 10-15 minute introduction is enough for them to get started.  To make it as user-friendly as possible, we have set up a reservation system and are training the library staff to demonstrate the program to new users.  

Computer software will never be a substitute for a one-to-one class with a tutor, but as part of a suite of options for ESL learners, it is a valuable component.  The program's speech recognition feature and integration of reading, listening and writing in all lessons is a comprehensive approach and users of all levels will find themselves in the driver's seat, able to direct their learning. 

One of the biggest advantages is that learners quickly see that they can learn English, they can improve their pronunciation so that they can be understood, and they can help themselves.  This is a powerful lesson to learn in any language and sounds especially sweet in English.