By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
January 7, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Last fall, the North-East Library added an English as a Second Language class to its weekly regime.

The free class, which meets every week at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday was designed to help area immigrants learn basic English skills: reading, writing and conversation.

During the last class of 2014, ESL tutor Laura Arensberg got some one-on-one time with her student Barbara. Arensberg said the class usually holds about five to 10 people, but assumed the holidays had something to do with the low turnout for her last session. The intimate setting of the session, though, worked in Barbara’s favor, as she got help on loan and course material regarding classes she’s looking into taking at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Barbara is from Cuba, having recently moved to the Northeast area. She worked as a land surveyor in Cuba and wants to further her education with another degree from a U.S. school. However, she has to complete ESL classes first. Currently, she’s taking ESL classes at the Don Bosco English as a Second Language Center, along with attending the library’s free classes. Barbara has been coming to the library since the program started. She said it has helped her immensely.

“Sometimes I still don’t understand the words, but the tutors help all the time,” Barbara said.

Arensberg, who’s also a tutor at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan., helped Barbara with grammar, used worksheets and played a quick game of bingo to help her teach English.

“Barbara doesn’t have a lot of people she can speak English with,” Arensberg said. “A lot of it is just talking to her in English and she works hard at it.”

Arensberg used to work in the Northeast. She said she missed the community, so when she saw a post on the library’s website, she decided to volunteer. Since the class began last fall, she said she’s seen noticeable improvements with the students, specifically in pronunciation.

“This is a low stress atmosphere that teaches important skills to the students,” Arensberg said. “It’s really important to the immigrant population in this community because it provides them another avenue to help them better learn the English language.”

The class resume its regular schedule at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6.