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English as a Second Language - Literacy
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Special thanks to the
Whitinsville Wal-Mart and the
Wal-Mart Foundation
for a generous donation to the library's ESL program.
- Autumn tutor training is
coming.
- Please call Anne at 508-473-2145 or email aberard@cwmars.org to register.
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Classes have resumed at the library in the New ESL Classroom located on the lower level.
We now offer Free Drop-in English Classes on Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday evenings from 7-8 pm at the library. Mondays are for
beginners; Tuesdays are conversation nights for all skill levels;
Wednesdays are for intermediate/advanced students. No sign-up or
registration is necessary to attend. Individuals are encouraged to
attend more than one class per week. Please note that space is limited
and latecomers may be turned away.
Literacy Program Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide trained volunteers for adult
tutoring in English as a Second Language (ESL). If prospective students
have educational needs beyond the scope of our program, we will refer
them to other resources. We will maintain a comprehensive and diverse
collection of literacy materials including audio-visual and printed
materials available for circulation. We will train volunteers in tutoring
techniques, sensitivity to literacy challenges in day to day life,
and in the use of literacy materials for more effective results. We
will match students with tutors and monitor progress.
Who Are the Students?
The students in our program come from countries such
as Brazil, China, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, India, Japan,
Pakistan, Portugal, Russia and Venezuela among others. Most are
employed in low wage service positions and proficiency in English
is an important step in improving their lives.
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Who Are the Volunteers?
Our volunteer tutors give generously of their time
and talents to make our program possible. While many have teaching
backgrounds or fluency in another language, neither is necessary to
be an effective tutor. A desire to help others, patience and flexibility
are equally important. Tutor training is free and once completed, tutors
are matched with a student(s) for an hour class per week at the library
where a private tutoring room is available.
Please
volunteer (follow this link to the "request to volunteer" form)
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How does the Program
Work?
We use a Three Pronged Approach to maximize our resources and results.
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One-on-one
tutoring & small group instruction
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Group
Drop-In Classes—Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday evenings @ 7pm
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Literacy
Shelf –books, dictionaries,
videotapes, audiocassettes for independent study, lesson
planning for tutors
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Afflilitation
The
ESL program at the Milford Town Library
is a proud affiliate of ProLiteracy Worldwide,
(formerly Laubach Literacy and Literacy
Volunteers of America) and use their
training materials in conjunction with
other literacy resources.
For
more information about our program, read
on and follow links provided below:
~ Literacy
Links ~
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On the Web, Where English
is Fun! The Internet's Top Site for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers
from Around the World. Open 24 hours. www.eslcafe.com |
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FreeTranslation.com is
an easy-to-use site for rapid translations where you can get
the "gist" of
foreign language text and web pages. A fast, web-based language
translation service. |
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The Internet
Public Library IPL provides library services to Internet
users. Activities include: finding, evaluating, selecting,
organizing, describing, and creating information resources;
and direct assistance to individuals. |
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Thanks to the Internet, writers
in about 100 nations are turning to Purdue University's Online
Writing Lab web site for help with English spelling, punctuation
and usage. |
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ProLiteracy
Worldwide is represented in 45 developing countries as
well as in the U.S. and serves more than 350,000 adult new
learners around the world each year. |
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This site has links to more than
800 dictionaries and thesauri in more than 160 languages from Afrikaans
to Yiddish. Specialized dictionaries cover topics such as law,
medicine, and slang. www.yourdictionary.com. |
Funding |
| The program operates largely on the contributions
of time and energy of its terrific volunteers, but also purchases
materials and supplies through the library budget and through the
generosity of private donors. Substantial past donations have been
made by: |
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