Harrisburg District Library helping hone English speaking skills
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Most people who come to the United States from another country know some English, but may need some help in communicating.
Harrisburg District Library offered a program in English as a second language this fall and will offer it again in January with a $5,000 grant from Dollar General.
This fall seven people signed up for the course, all restaurant workers.
One of those, Lazaro Macias of Harrisburg, attended each 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday library session and has seen the benefits.
"I understand a little bit more. It's a good class," Macias said.
He is learning to communicate in ways that will help him with his employment and help in raising his children such as learning "Numbers, talking to people, understanding questions," he said.
Macias' wife, Misty, is from Mt. Carmel and together they have two children ages seven and 10 who speak both English and Spanish.
Macias, originally from Tamaulipas, Mexico, works in the Kitchen at Tequila's Mexican Restaurant.
Claudia Anguiano, originally of Durango, has worked at Tequila's as a server for 14 years and her English speaking skills have also benefited from the class.
Dollar General started the program with a $75,000 grant from the American Library Association. The ALA distributed the money to libraries whose districts showed a need. This is the second year for the grant.
"This year there were more than 70 in the nation and 11 in Illinois," Harrisburg Library Director Ruth Miller said.
"We are the only ones south of Springfield."
Miller made arrangement with Jennifer Roehm, Southeastern Illinois College Spanish instructor, to teach the class and the first class was Aug. 24. The grant allows the library to offer the class until May of 2011.
For Roehm, teaching Spanish is an extension of an interest she acquired in high school.
"I knew in high school I really liked Spanish and knew I wanted to pursue that further. I decided to be a foreign exchange student. I went to Ecuador for one year and lived with a family that spoke no English," Roehm said.
Roehm returned and went to college to acquire a bachelor's and master's degree in both Spanish instruction and English as a second language.
Though so far the students have all been Hispanic, the class is open to anyone wanting to improve their English reading and speaking skills.
"I give a test at the beginning to see the level they are at. Then I know where to start," Roehm said.
"For the most part they have basic knowledge of how to talk. There have been none who didn't know anything. The group all has basic knowledge. We work more on pronunciation, reading and writing skills."
After the grant has ended the library may reapply and may apply for other programs funded through Dollar General.
"We're looking at things geared toward teenagers to keep them in school. Harrisburg's drop-out levels are higher than the state.," Miller said.
Anyone wanting to join the class -- that begins on a yet-to-be determined date in January -- may call the library at 252-1239.
<ul>
<li>
DeNeal receives e-mail at mailto:bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
</ul>