Church holds English classes

According to Pamela Hasse, one of the English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers with the Zeltenreich Reformed Church ESL program, individuals working to learn English get "lots of listening practice in day-to-day life." "(What) they need is a safe environment to practice English, (specifically) targeted skills such as grocery shopping, going to the doctor, or applying for a job," she said.

Zeltenreich's ESL program, which began with an intake session on Feb. 6 with classes beginning on Feb. 13, offers that time to students at the church, 752 Hollander Road, New Holland, each Tuesday from 7 to 8:45 p.m.

Currently, the program has two classes running with two teachers in each class until the middle of May. Classes will then begin again in September. The program's ongoing enrollment allows students to begin at any time during the session. "We have students from Africa, South America, Mexico, and Eastern Europe," said Pamela, who noted that the number of classes may grow as needed.

During the intake session, students were assessed on comprehension and speaking skills and assigned to a class that corresponded to their level of accomplishment. A nursery program and a Bible club, taught by Jean Brown, are available for children who accompany their parents to class. For ESL students, a 45-minute lesson is taught, followed by a short coffee and snack break. After the break, there's a Bible lesson and another ESL lesson. "The Bible lesson doubles as an ESL lesson with a different set of vocabulary words," explained Pamela, who noted that students may continue to attend classes as long as they like. "The students start at basic and move up the ladder, and there are advanced classes where the discussion is digital etiquette. They can continue, and classes change with their abilities."

In addition to Pamela, teachers, who undertook training in the fall of 2023, include Wilma Bender, who had a vision for this type of outreach for many years; Tim Brown; Julia Myer; Linda Cochran; and backup teachers Tim Bender, Tim Martin, and Bill Hasse.

According to Pamela, the program began the session with about six students, and it has grown by one or two per week. Zeltenreich ESL representatives have been working with ForgeWorks director Allison Cuthie to provide classes for Garden Spot Village staff members. ForgeWorks is a service of Garden Spot Communities.

"I have been working on ESL options for our staff and ways to create meaningful relationships between residents and staff in their ESL journeys," said Cuthie. "I am thrilled and grateful that Zeltenreich is providing a local program that we know we can recommend for our staff to achieve a greater level of practice."

According to Pamela, students who are taking part in classes have shown courage and intelligence in choosing to do so. "Sometimes the language barrier is deemed as being associated with less intelligence," said Pamela, who noted that English is one of the hardest languages to learn. "It takes a long time to master (English)," she stated. "We are giving (students) the opportunity in a safe environment to learn targeted skills that are useful for them in their day-to-day lives and that will aid them in being better understood. That's an important part of what we're doing."

Pamela noted that the growth of classes has been comfortable for the teachers and students. "We are pleased to start slow and grow," noted Pamela. "We want to serve our students well."

Readers who are interested in taking part in classes may contact the church by emailing esl@zeltenreich.org or calling 717-742-0240. Classes are free, but there is a cost for the class workbook.