Some interesting stats in this article. And frustrating ones... Why are tax dollars used to pay for this training? There are already 61 comments to this article.


Study: State not meeting demand for learning English

By Antonio Olivo | Tribune staff reporter
1:45 PM CDT, May 11, 2009

After 20 years of sporadic English classes, Esperanza Marrufo still stumbles over the language, exasperated when unable to find the right word.

"Part of my problem is...I can't express myself!" said Marrufo, 43, in her native Spanish. "I want to keep practicing so I can enter fully into American society."

Though that desire is shared by thousands of immigrants -- even as critics often chastise them for not integrating quickly enough -- opportunities to learn English are harder to come by in Illinois, according to a study released today.

Between 2002 and 2008, the number of English as a Second Language slots funded by the state dropped by 20 percent to 69,700, according to the report by the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

In Chicago, where wait-lists are long for ESL classes inside the city's seven community colleges, the number of enrolled students dropped during the same period by nearly half to 19,300, the study showed.

The findings tap into long-standing concerns over integrating non-English-speaking immigrants, many of whom gravitate to ethnic enclaves and remain in unskilled jobs due to their lack of English. Of the state's nearly 1.8 million foreign-born residents, about 575,000 adults cannot speak English well or at all, according to 2007 census figures.

"Our immigrant population is growing," said Fred Tsao, policy director for the immigrant coalition. "If we're going to be relying increasingly on the immigrant work force, we need to make sure those workers have the English skills to not only do their jobs but advance in their jobs so they can contribute even more to the economy."

Most adult ESL courses in the state are funded through the Illinois Community College Board, which supports 80 ESL programs in community colleges and neighborhood nonprofits, board officials said.

Funding for adult education, most of which is ESL instruction, has dropped steadily in recent years to $54.9 million in 2008, due to shifting state budget priorities and a drop in federal resources spurred by the troubled economy, the study shows.

Karen Hunter Thompson, the board's vice president, predicted more ESL classes will be cut this year.

"We've had some major hits and we're going to lose $1.5 million more in adult education this year," said Thompson, adding that the board recently formed a Latino Advisory Committee to study the barriers faced by that population. "We realize, that, if you look at the population, we're not keeping up fiscally with the demand. It's a challenge."

The demand for classes can be seen in such community organizations as the Indo-American Center in West Rogers Park, where roughly 200 immigrants from India, Pakistan, the Middle East and Ethiopia meet every week to learn English.

Such a diverse population, entering with a jumble of native languages, is hard to teach with only a handful of instructors, said Mimosa Shah, the center's literacy coordinator.

"We do a lot of one-on-one sessions, where we play games or manipulate pictures, all of it in English," Shah said. "It's a very drastic immersion but it's also necessary for the students to learn survival English."

Among the study's recommendations is to channel more government funding to community organizations. Those groups have proven to be more convenient than community colleges for immigrants working long hours and tending to children.

Several nonprofits include career training with their advanced English courses.

Thompson said pending changes in federal funding formulas may allow the state board to pour more funds into such programs, but not at the expense of community colleges.

Marrufo, a native of Mexico, attends a class taught by a Chicago Lawn nonprofit in partnership with Malcom X Community College.

Though she still struggles, her English has improved markedly, she said.

Eager to practice, Marrufo offered to share in English her plans to become a teacher.

"I need my city certificate because I want to take...como se dice?...una educacion...advanced education for becoming teachers," she said.

Upon finishing, Marrufo wondered: "Did you understand me?"

aolivo@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 9756.story