Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Library group learns English with activities
Participants in Rogers practice speaking in ‘real-world settings’
ROGERS — A group at the Rogers Public Library is focused on helping people improve their English speaking skills with an emphasis on learning by doing.
Rosa Guevara, multicultural librarian, co-hosts the “English Conversation Group” every Thursday from 2-3:30 p.m. at the library.
The discussion group is for people who want to learn how to speak English better or want to know how to better help people to learn English, Guevara said. Anyone can attend, not just non-native English speakers. The group is open to all skill levels, and members benefit from hearing everyone speak and converse, she said.
The group’s activities differ from week to week to keep things fresh for learners as they practice speaking English. Guevara said they may have a whole group conversation, have topic-based discussions or separate into peer groups based on skill level.
Guevara said the group sometimes watches a movie that group participants can then speak about and use words from the film in discussion. Recently the group watched “Finding Nemo,” then discussed the plot and the vocabulary words used in the movie.
The group is sometimes referred to as a class because of the focus on learning, but there are no tests or curriculum, said Keli Wright, a library circulation associate. Wright co-leads the group with Guevara. Simply put, the group does various activities while practicing how to use English “in real-world settings,” Wright said.
She said the group focuses on dialogue and “little things” such as pronunciation and idioms.
The group can be therapeutic, Guevara said, because members can connect with each other over their similar experiences and learn together. She said members seem more confident in their ability to speak English as the class goes on.
“It’s a very engaged group,” Wright said. “It’s almost like a support group.”
Wright said participants feel welcomed, not judged, and are “extremely supportive” of each other. She said some people come “just to talk” or to hear and be around more conversation in English. Some come because they want to learn how to read or to get a library card.
Wright said the group is flexible because the desired result is to help participants achieve their own goals.
Participants are asked what they want out of the group, and their answers inform the group’s activities, she said.
Guevara said people can come to the group and only listen if they want because some people just want to hear more English being spoken.
A majority of participants are of Spanish descent, Guevara and Wright agreed, but people from anywhere are welcome.
They said people from other countries, such as Turkey, Thailand and the Philippines, have attended sessions.
Wright said the group exposes attendees to American culture and helps them acclimate to the culture. She said people who have gained citizenship, as well as those in the process of attaining citizenship, attend the class, and that gives the group a way to “practice citizenship in a fun way.”
The group is always looking for more people to join, Wright said.
“Everyone in the community is needed,” Guevara said. “Everybody has room to grow.”
Some members of the group also receive teaching from the Literacy Council of Benton County.
The council has volunteer tutors that lead study groups of three to four people for whom English might be their “second, third or fourth language,” said Vicki Ronald, executive director of the Literacy Council of Benton County.
Ronald said the groups learn using English comprehension textbooks by ProLiteracy and receive standardized testing through the state Department of Adult Education up to the ninth grade reading level.
The groups are asked to meet twice a week in public places, online or by phone. Ronald said everyone has fun in the groups and they become like family during and after their time together. She said there is a student and tutor that have been meeting for at least 10 years at this point.
“Everyone has fun and is very motivated to learn English. They know how important it is,” Ronald said.