Literacy Volunteers-HBPL

My name is Ranya. I came from Egypt.  I’m married and have three kids.  I have been here in the United States since 2006.  I joined the literacy Program in 2013.

First, I joined the Conversation class on Thursdays.  It is so useful for me.  It encourages me to speak English without being shy or afraid of making mistakes.  I felt that I’m not alone.  It helped me a lot.  The staff in this program are wonderful and so friendly.  They encourage me a lot.

Second, I started my tutoring classes with Jennifer.  She is amazing person.  She always answers my questions.  She encourages me to talk, read and write English continuously.  Every class she brings a lot of materials to study together.

Now, I feel so much better.  I can go shopping and speak English with my neighbors.  I also can speak with teachers and the parents in my children’s school.

Finally, I encourage everyone in my church to join this program.  It is so useful and it is for free.  It made a big difference in my English and my whole life.

Susan, Tutor since December 2013

Why did you become an Adult Literacy Tutor?

Julie H., a tutor, is the person who told me all about the program.  I possess a Multiple Subject Life Credential, but have been on a 15 year maternity leave.  I had always planned to go back to teaching when my kids were in school, but there were no jobs at the time.  Volunteering at my kids’ elementary school helped keep me current in education, but now they’re in middle and high school where volunteers aren’t needed as much.  Julie is a friend from exercise class who often talked about the Adult Literacy program and how fun it was working with adults.  She finally convinced me to go through the training.  It was a condensed version of the teaching program with only the highlights and people who wanted to be there as volunteers!  It was the perfect class and a positive atmosphere!  No special skills or teaching experiences were needed.  Diane Moseley, our instructor, matchmaker, and “boss”, matched me with Raquel Guzman who happened to have the same schedule and hobbies as I do.  I tutor once a week for 2 hours while my kids are in school and we meet at the Central Library.

Raquel doesn’t drive and will ride her bike, ask family for a ride, or catch the bus just to get to our tutoring sessions.  She’s a dedicated and motivated student!

This is turning out to be the best experience for me as a tutor and a mom as I try to raise two teenagers who only grunt.  Raquel enjoys coming and practices her English at the beginning of each session when we talk about our families.  She proudly tells me about Ricardo and gives me advice since her son is now 20 and doing really well in college and as a Tae Kwon Do instructor.  Her husband, Pedro, helps her practice her English, vocabulary and ELA stories.  The whole family supports her and has volunteered at Adult Literacy events.  It’s the perfect world for me as I feel appreciated as a tutor and am able to use my experiences as a teacher!

Dictated by Raquel, Learner since December 2013: Why did you join the Adult Literacy program?

I wanted to learn English for everything.  My goal at the beginning was to be able to talk to my doctor without a translator.  I wanted to be able to order my favorite white chocolate mocha with light sugar and decaf from Starbucks on my own, and order my own meal in a restaurant. I also wanted to be able to talk to my son’s friends in English.  It’s important that I be able to speak in English to my customers who order balloons from my little business.

Since I started the program, I can order my own mocha and food without being shy.  I was able to talk to my doctor and my son’s boss.  I made my own invoice for my balloon business.  I’m able to talk more according to my family and boss.

Eleven years ago I decided to travel to this country from El Salvador.  I hugged my mom very hard.  We were crying and it broke my heart in two pieces.  I left one piece there.  Even though I knew this journey was going to be difficult and dangerous, on the other hand I was very excited and thrilled because my life was going to change with new and better opportunities.

Since I came to this country I discovered the Family Literacy Program.  I started to study English and my life changed.  Now I can read with my children and also I have good communication with my children’s teachers, my family’s doctor, and English speaking people.

Thank you all the Literacy Staff and teachers for the time give us.

I joined Literacy Services because I could not imagine my life without reading, and have found the sharing of that skill immensely satisfying.  I have also lived where I did not speak the language, and so I have great admiration for our learners who are trying to improve their English skills.  It is not easy to learn a new language as an adult, and they all seem to be doing far better than I would in their place.  Now it’s all fun for me – Chat Time is such a pleasure to do and I am learning about our language and culture right along with everyone else.

I like the Literacy Program because it helped me to get my citizenship.  My whole life will be better now.  After this program, I have friends and I can go wherever I want.  I can understand English, speak and read.

My name is Yan Zhou (Alicia), and I have been in America for almost two years. When I first came here, I did not know about the Literacy Program. Fortunately, my classmates in the Huntington Beach Adult School told me about it, so I could have the chance to join it. It is a very helpful program, and all the tutors who work here are willing to help every person. The relationship between tutors and learners are beyond teachers and students; they look more like close friends. We share our experiences, tell about our problems, and learn about different cultures. To me, the Literacy Program helps me improve my English quickly, but also impresses me by the remarkable American culture – volunteer. Now, I am a volunteer in the Literacy department even though I just come here to help check books. However, helping people is one of the most wonderful things in my life, and I find that I want to do more of it. I have gradually changed, and it is good for me.

Happy 30th Anniversary California State Library Literacy Services (CLLS) whose mission is to enable Californians of all ages to reach their literacy goals and use library services effectively.  Did you know that over 20,000 adults in California were reached by library based literacy programs last year?  These adults met diverse goals such as reading the newspaper, helping children with homework, reading medical information, getting jobs, learning to use email, improving job skills, reading a bedtime story to a child and so much more.

In celebration of CLLS’s 30th anniversary and the library based literacy programs it created and nurtured, we will be posting stories and testimonials from adult learners and volunteer tutors who make up the vibrant programs of Literacy Volunteers-Huntington Beach Library, one of the original programs funded by CLLS.  Scroll down to read all about us!

Thank you for visiting our blog and remember, if you can read this, you may be able to help someone else learn to read it, too.