Maplewood library wins large grant to support ESL classes

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Memorial Library recently received its largest grant in history: $72,053 from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Adult Literacy and Community Library Partnership Pilot Program to fund English as a second language instruction.

The library is now using the grant to partner with the Essex and Passaic counties chapter of the Literacy Volunteers of America to provide four free, professionally-taught level 1 ESL courses and two conversation groups at the library’s Hilton branch on Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 1 through May 31, 2017. These classes will mark the first time such instruction will take place at the library since the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School discontinued its discounted classes there two years ago.

Almost daily since then, library patrons have asked about the possibility of offering classes, according to Amanda Eigen, the Hilton adult services librarian. As a result, Eigen said it became clear to staff that there was a real need for ESL instruction. So when the LWD Department announced it would use Title II funds to create the ALCLP grant program with the purpose of encouraging job seekers to learn English, Eigen knew the library had to apply.

And now that the grant has been obtained and the classes are set to begin, Eigen hopes people will take advantage of the instruction for all the benefits it will provide.

“If people do not speak English, they’re at a tremendous disadvantage when it comes to getting a job, applying for a job, using a computer, writing their name,” Eigen told the News-Record in a May 23 phone interview. “People who can speak English and communicate in English are a greater asset to the workforce community and can contribute to their community in a way that people who do not speak English can’t because they don’t have that skill set.”

The Maplewood library currently offers ESL tutoring through the LVA, which will continue to provide those volunteer-run services moving forward. But the teacher-led classes being funded by the grant will be more rigorous in scope. The students in the courses will learn basic communication skills while the conversation groups will enhance the more advanced speakers’ English skills. All classes will require students to meet the standards for Title II funding.

The classes will also be much longer than the average tutoring sessions, lasting six hours per week for 12 weeks. Prior to this, tutoring commonly took place for two hours per week, though the state recently began requiring a minimum of four hours per week.

For LVA Executive Director Cristhian Barcelos, the opportunity to offer more instruction is exciting in a state with many non-native English speakers. In fact, according to a 2015 U.S. Census survey, one in four New Jersey homes speaks a language other than English; in Maplewood specifically, 19.5 percent of the population primarily speaks a language other than English.

With so many lacking the ability to communicate in English, Barcelos said it is essential to provide as many ESL services as possible. Otherwise, he said, people — especially those from foreign countries — end up feeling isolated and unable to elevate their position in life.

“Think about it for a second — you come to a country and you don’t know the language, so you can’t communicate,” Barcelos told the News-Record in a May 23 phone interview. “You don’t know how to do something as simple as order a sandwich (because) when they come and ask you how you want it, you can never say the ingredients. So it can get very complicated. Very simple things that we take for granted, for immigrants, are quite a struggle.”

As a result, Barcelos said his organization is grateful to the Maplewood Library for agreeing to partner to obtain the grant. While the LVA works with 900 people per year, many more can learn English thanks to the grant. Likewise, Eigen said the library appreciates the work Barcelos’ nonprofit does for the Maplewood community, which she said hosts a large immigrant population.

Both agreed that they would like to apply for the grant if it is offered again next year.

In the meantime, register for the upcoming classes by visiting the library’s Hilton branch on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. starting in June, or by setting up an appointment with the LVA, which can be reached at 973-566-6200, ext. 217. Applicants will be required to pay a $25 fee and will be assessed to determine the level of instruction they will require. The classes will accept up to 150 students — 30 for each of the four courses and 15 for each of the two conversation groups.