Texas: Teachers want Congress to increase funding for ESL

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 Posted on Mon, Jul. 03, 2006

Teachers want Congress to increase funding for ESL

ANABELLE GARAY Associated Press

PLANO, Texas - Fernando Lozano rushes home from his landscaping job twice
a week, makes himself a milkshake and dashes off to a cramped room at a
community center for his English class. As he navigates through traffic
from Dallas to suburban Plano, the 32-year-old listens to the radio and
tries to translate the lyrics from English to Spanish, an exercise he does
in an effort to learn the language. "We live in the U.S. and we need to
learn English," Lozano said. Lozano's one of the luckier immigrants who
have a class to attend. Many trying to learn the language - something
lawmakers stress for immigrants in pending legislation - just can't find
any English classes.

To help more immigrants get into class, educators and advocates want
Congress to increase federal funding for free English as a Second Language
courses. "The experience of those working with immigrants is, no
encouragement is needed," said John Segota, advocacy and communications
manager at Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. "It's been
a challenge of programs and availability. We believe if there's a real
commitment there to English language learning, it needs to be matched by
funding and resources." The Dallas suburbs of Plano, Irving, Carrollton
and Farmers Branch, along with other Texas cities, have had to put people
on waiting lists for ESL classes. Programs all over the country face the
same, with waits that can range from a few days to even years.

Some companies have called about finding classes for employees, and
churches are starting classes to meet the demand, educators say. "Every
time we have a registration we have people; they camp out," said Tracy
Basquin, executive director of the Houston READ Commission. "The people
are there in line several hours before." Of course, the free programs
aren't the only way to learn English. Some immigrants use study-at-home
videos courses, watch children's shows with their kids or pay to attend
community colleges. The high demand was there before a Senate bill
proposed letting some illegal immigrants become citizens if they first
learn English and comply with other requirements, experts say. The Senate
also approved a provision making English the national language but later
added a second measure declaring English a "common unifying language."

Yet funding for more ESL classes and classroom materials has remained
about the same. In 2003, $70 million was appropriated. For fiscal year
2007 starting in October, the Bush administration has proposed $68 million
for English literacy and civics education. Educators and advocates say
that isn't enough to meet the need of immigrants who want to learn
English. Meanwhile, the number of children and adults who need such
programs continues to grow, said Melissa Lazarin, policy analyst for
education reform at the National Council of La Raza. More than a million
immigrants received legal residence in 2002 alone and many will need to
show fluency in English to gain citizenship, according to NCLR.

"The money has to come from someplace," said Bonita Montgomery, program
coordinator of the Adult Literacy Center in Mesquite. "It hasn't been
really a priority with all the things that are happening in our country.
However, if they are making this a mandate, they should provide (the)
programs."

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/14958375.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, http://www.tesol.org