Learning English at her children’s schools gave Danna Pacheco the confidence to start using her new language in conversations, a skill she hadn’t mastered through classes growing up in Puerto Rico, or when she first arrived in the United States.
That newfound fluency also helped her land a job in Ridgeland School District 122 as an instructional assistant, first at Harnew Elementary School in Oak Lawn and now at Lieb Elementary School in Bridgeview.
The classes have been taught in District 122 since 2018 thanks to a boost from Governors State University in University Park, which supplies English as a Second Language teachers.
“I didn’t practice the English language and I was always afraid about taking a class because I didn’t feel like I was bilingual,” said Pacheco, who lives in Oak Lawn with her husband and three children, Estevan, 5, Veronica, 7 and Victoria, 10. “But when I took the classes in the English program, that gave me the confidence to believe in myself and look for a job.”
What’s more, Pacheco wants to polish her English “because I can help more people, more students if I am a good communicator.”
That kind of result is what staff in District 122 and GSU were hoping for. The classes are also taught at Midlothian-based Bremen High School District 228, Tinley Park’s Community Consolidated School District 146, and North Palos School District 11. And GSU is hoping to expand to other south suburban schools.
Akiko Ota, who directs the English Language Learning Center at GSU, said when parents find the help accessible, it “lowers the fear of interacting” at their kids’ schools, leading to more engagement for both them and their children.
“Their kids go to their school district and receive ESL services, so the kids learn English, but the parents do not,” Ota said. “Parents are asked to find their own … meanwhile they do need to contact school districts for their kids. So if we offer ESL programs through school districts, they not only receive language and cultural training but also communicate with school staff.”
The teachers from GSU can accommodate students who speak any language, though the majority are Spanish, Arabic and Polish speakers. This year there were 130 parents enrolled throughout the program.
Ota said the program uses an “integrated skills” approach, focusing on grammar, reading and conversing.
She teaches ESL to parents in District 228, noting she loves working with adults because they tend to be appreciative and hungry for knowledge, and their enthusiasm is contagious.
“It’s giving me a sense of purpose,” she said.
Ota learned English at age 13 in her native country, Japan, so she understood words and written language in the classroom but not always in everyday situations.
“I got on the wrong airplane my very first day (coming to the United States), that’s how bad my speaking (English) was,” said Ota.
That experience helps her encourage students.
“If I could do it, everyone can,” she said. “It’s not us helping — we are sharing ways, and the parents are the ones who are making it happen.”
Lorenzo Nevarez, who directs English Language Programs for District 122, said many parents asked for ESL classes before the partnership with GSU began.
“It allows parents to come in to see the building and be around their kids, so it is a nice setup,” said Nevarez. “I had one year when parents advocated for a summer course and we were able to build it into our schedule.”
Nevarez said the district appreciated having teachers from GSU. Federal Title III funding covers the cost.
“I’ve seen where districts have their own teachers teach classes, there’s nothing wrong with that, but a lot of the teachers are burned out by the end of the day,” said Nevarez. “I was looking for someone who would come from outside the district.”
The program had been a hit, he said.
“To me it’s a great pipeline, if we can have these parents learn a little English, get to know teachers, come in and volunteer and if we can hire them, even better for us,” Nevarez said.
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Eva Lazowski, a teacher from GSU who teaches ESL to parents in three area school districts, has seen the success of the program firsthand.
“There are students who really need those classes for basic everyday communication,” said Lazowski, who knew English when she emigrated from Poland but had to polish her skills. “They often talk about struggling with communicating and expressing themselves when they interact with teachers.
“Also, there is a group of students who do come with pretty strong speaking skills but their vocabulary is limited — they can talk about the weather or shopping, but can’t really go beyond that.”
That’s why Lazowski is sure to include functional English, including how to communicate at restaurants, shopping, talking to teachers and doctors and speaking on the phone.
“They often tell me they just hang up,” she said.
One perk of the job for Lazowski is watching students progress.
“Many times, students are silent the first few lessons but as we progress and learn more, they speak more and ask more questions and are more curious about the language,” she said.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.