Sagging economy boosts English language class enrollment

More immigrants look to improve their language skills, educators are finding.

By CINDY CARCAMO
The Orange County Register

The sinking economy has spurred demand for English classes, while at the same time cuts in education budgets have left some of the programs without classrooms, education officials say.

While there has always been a high demand for English classes, recently more students are calling and walking up to registration counters at local community colleges throughout the county, hoping to sign up for one of the hundreds of classes offered during summer sessions, according to education officials.

Many of these students are immigrants motivated to learn English because of a downward-spiraling economy that may have left them without a competitive edge for advancement or simply without a job.

"It was a busy a year ago, but it's much busier now," said Greg Schulz, dean of instruction and student services at North County Community College District. "We're experiencing a real increase in folks who may have been impacted through layoffs and seeking to retool."

Yet the state's budget woes have sparked some nearby districts – such as Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District – to reduce their ESL offerings, Schulz said. This in turn affects demand at his district.

"We're doing our best to absorb them," Schulz said of the ESL students. "There is such a need, but naturally with the state budget reduction and the impact it's had on all education ... it's really affecting nearby sites so that's affecting our demand."

A survey taken four years ago showed that 75 percent of Santa Ana and central county businesses would not hire anyone who doesn't speak English, said Michael Metzler, president and chief executive officer for the Greater Santa Ana Business Alliance.

"That limits the number of jobs that are available for people who don't speak English," he said.

A survey of the Latino community in Santa Ana also found that residents' No. 1 concern was to learn English, according to an Alliance study.

North County Community College District officials have seen a steady increase in ESL registration during the past few years.

The most recent data available shows 13,408 ESL students for the 2007-2008 session, compared with 13,177 during the 2005-2006 session.

At Rancho Santiago Community College District, numbers have pretty much remained steady, said Nilo Lipiz, dean of instruction and student services for the district's School of Continuing Education.

However, he said, the registration office has seen a greater interest for summer session registration, which begins later this month.

"I think whenever the economy goes bad and unemployment goes up, people look for ways to improve their skills," he said. "They have more time and are interested in finding a better job. They come back to learn English skills to help them find a better job."

While demand is increasing, Lipiz said his district struggled to find locations for the classes, partly because budget-impacted Santa Ana Unified School District can't host the classes this summer.

That's left Lipiz knocking on nearby religious congregations' doors, asking pastors for classroom space.

"I've become very religious – I've gone to most of the churches in the area," he said. "I've contacted them to see if they have rooms available."

The spike in demand for English classes is simple economics, Metzler said.

"There are few jobs and I think some who are just Spanish-speaking have lost their jobs," Metzler said. "I think they've realized that they need to go back and get a better job. And they have the opportunity now to learn English before they go out to get a better job."

That's what Santa Ana resident Ana Morales has in mind.

The 50-year-old came to the United States from the Mexican state of Tampico three years ago. She attended one English course when she first got here but never went back.

The former housekeeper said she never had a set work schedule that would allow her to take English classes in earnest.

"It's important to be bilingual," she said in Spanish. "Right now I'm out of work and I want a better job, and without English how am I going to find a better job?"

Morales said she plans to register at Centennial Education Center in Santa Ana later this month. In the meantime, she tries to teach herself with some older language books and by watching the History Channel in English, with the English captions turned on.

Contact the writer: ccarcamo@ocregister.com or 949-553-2906

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