English class for kids, adults exceeds expectations

Teresa Hinds

Monday, Dec. 22, 1997 | 10:11 a.m.

Las Vegas High School Principal Barry Gunderson knew there had to be a better way to help students learn English as a second language.

"For years I had been working with ESL kids, and it just wasn't getting there for them," Gunderson said, adding that he was getting frustrated with seeing students spend sometimes more than half of their public school career in English as a Second Language classes.

"I want to see kids get into the program, learn and get out of the program," he said. "If you can't speak English in this country, let's be honest, you aren't going to make it."

So when two of his ESL teachers, Joanie Monroy and Claudie Willems, returned from a session at the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force Base, Gunderson was all ears when they talked about the intensive language classes the military offers at government schools and to embassy personnel throughout the world.

Monroy said they were impressed with the material and thought they could adapt it to start a new program that would benefit not only their students, but the student's family members.

"We saw a need to include our students' parents in order to make them successful, for kids to buy into what we're doing," Monroy said.

Gunderson bought into it and so did Elise Ax, assistant superintendent for compensatory education. She worked with Monroy and Willems to get a one-year federal grant for offering ESL classes to adults in the evenings.

When fliers about the classes, which began shortly after the school year started in August, were sent home with ESL students, no one anticipated such a high response.

As many as 200 people attended the classes at one time and 60-75 were attending regularly the first few months. But changing job shifts and other factors have kept the usual attendance for the evening classes at between 40-50 people.

"That exceeded my expectations," Gunderson said.

And it's not just parents that spend two hours, four nights a week diligently working under the tutelage of Monroy and Willems in the computer room at the school district's Area Service Center on East Charleston Boulevard.

Students enrolled in ESL classes at LVHS, like Pravee Sommit, also attend with family members. The 15-year-old accompanies his mother, Somsamai Ubreakanugul.

"Before I came to this class I couldn't speak any English," Sommit, a Thai native said. "But now I can speak to another person and they can understand what I say," adding it's made school easier and it's become easier to make friends.

With the help of translation from her son, Ubreakanugul proudly announced that in four months, she has never missed a night of class.

Her motivation? "Because I'm staying in the United States and nobody speaks Thai."

As Monroy explained, the motivation for most of the adult students to improve their English is to get a better job and to be able to help their children with their homework.

That's exactly why Juan Saldana is in the program. A Calexico, Calif., native, Saldana found out about the program from his 17-year-old cousin, Pedro Ayala, an LVHS student. Now, Saldana's wife, parents, sister and uncle attend the classes.

"Before I started the class, I understood some things but not very much," Saldana said. "I couldn't help my son with his homework and I felt very bad because the neighbors had to help him.

"But now I feel better," he says. "This program makes me happy. Now I can help my son and I'm starting to write, too."

His improved English has also been instrumental in Saldana being promoted to kitchen manager at the Coyote Cafe at the MGM Grand. He doesn't plan on stopping there. "I want to go up and up," he said.

Another family that attends the ESL classes together is the Gaeking family -- mother Hilda, and daughters Dina, 15, and Daysi, 17, are from El Salvador.

"We work together at home," Hilda Gaeking said. "Sometimes they teach me and sometimes I teach them."

Tears come to Rogelio Romero's eyes when he talks about how the program has helped him communicate with his two daughters.

When the family moved here from Guanojuato, Mexico, no one spoke English. His daughters began learning English in school, but Romero didn't have the opportunity to learn. Now, Romero and his three children all work together on their English lessons. He's very proud that he's also learning to read and write English.

"I feel great. This has really changed my life," Romero said. "I had forgotten what life is like when you're a student. It's hard work."