A class that makes everyday life easier
Carmen Erazo never learned English properly after her family moved to Puerto Rico from New York when she was 9 and her education was interrupted at the fourth grade.
She spent the next three decades speaking mostly Spanish, and moved to Waukegan in the mid-1990s.
Over the years Erazo, now 47, has taken several ESL classes offered by the local school district and other agencies, but none have taught her as much as English with a Purpose, a free class offered by the YWCA Lake County, she said.
"When I took the (placement) test in August, I didn't even know how to write 'Wednesday,' and 'Thursday' was very difficult," she said. "Now I can do it, and I learned a lot of other things."
The purpose of the class, is to teach students how to effectively communicate with their English-speaking children, their children's teachers, physicians, government officials and other figures of authority, said YWCA Director of Training and Education Lila Jimenez,
The interactive curriculum uses books and videos, but also presentations about topics such as health -- including breast cancer and heart disease -- U.S. history, local laws and immigrants' rights.
"Our students have gone on to get a GED or started a technical career. They got better jobs," Jimenez said. "The class makes them more confident."
Erazo said much of the credit goes to teacher Peggy Willis, who makes the classes fun and engaging. "Miss Peggy, she is great. Real nice, real kind," she said.
Even though Willis doesn't speak Spanish, she always finds a way to communicate with the students, Erazo said.
The teacher also gets translation help from advanced students whose work schedules let them to come to class during the week, when the beginners are taught.
"People are always asking: 'How does that work?' It works beautifully," Willis said.
The beginner class uses a book called "Survival English," while the advanced class makes use of the "Crossroads Cafe" video series, which is a hit among the students, Willis said.
The series follows the stories of a group of cafeteria employees week after week. "It's very funny, and it also teaches figurative language," she said. A teenager character says things like, "This group is really off the charts!" while the cafeteria owner will offer sandwiches "on the house," for example.
Class topics also include practical things like how to interpret road signs, and how to spell out numbers on a check.
The class has been offered for five years. Usually students drop off as the weeks go by, with attendance at the end of some years as low as 15, Jimenez said. This year, however, attendance has been exemplary, with nearly 70 students showing up every week without fail, she said.
Erazo, whose three youngest children graduated from Waukegan High School, said she wishes she had taken the class years ago. "I couldn't help the kids with a lot because I really didn't know a lot," she said. "This would have helped."
The ESL with a Purpose beginner class is offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and the advanced class on Saturday mornings. The course runs from August to June with a break for the holidays.
People can still enroll for the second half of the course by registering in person at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the YWCA Lake County, 2133 Belvidere Road, Waukegan. For more information, call Jimenez at (847) 662-4247, Ext. 131.