English learner classes offered for free

Locals who would like a structured setting to improve their English skills can find one for free in room 325 of the Waseca Central Building from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Fridays and from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Evening sessions meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

 

Offered through a regional Adult Basic Education (ABE) consortium, the classes are open to anyone 18 years and older. Ann Wheeler is the current instructor; a native of Wales, she and her husband Mike spent 20 years as missionaries in Bolivia, and have now lived in Waseca for a few years. Thanks to her experience as a missionary, she says she is glad to be helping her students strengthen their skills–she knows what it can be like to try navigating life when opportunities for communication are limited by one’s ability to speak the local language.

 

Wheeler notes that learners come with a variety of skill levels, and that the group uses materials which allow everyone to build from where they are at. “We all help each other,” she says of time spent together in class. 

 

Wheeler points out, “It takes real dedication to work these classes in among all the responsibilities of leading an adult life.” Especially for those who sometimes change shifts at work, or who have seasonal jobs like construction, she says, it can be difficult to maintain consistent attendance.

 

Materials used include exercises designed for conversation among students. During one recent class, learners were asked to study a drawing with many people in it and then discuss their appearance and belongings: “Does Lisa have curly hair?” “How many people are carrying suitcases?

“Class time is for conversation,” Wheeler comments. To continue learnin

g on their own, students can use other exercises also provided by class materials. QR codes on the pages take them to prerecorded conversations they can listen to and then answer questions about. Lessons are structured, Wheeler says, to enrich vocabulary and help strengthen the ways learners use key elements of language and grammar, both in writing and speaking.

 

She observes that the structured lessons work to fill gaps in the often partial understanding learners have acquired on their own.

 

Attending class one recent Wednesday morning was Maria, 57. She says she has lived in the Waseca area for about four years, is a grandmother to four local children, and has a job at Walmart. She praises the cooperative atmosphere at her workplace, explaining that, when necessary, she can use a translation app on her phone to exchange information.

 

Still, she says, she sees it as her responsibility to strengthen her skills and make communication with English speakers around her smoother and simpler. She’s grateful for the chance to attend class and comes as often as she can.

 

Natalie, 40, can speak English well enough to get by in many situations, but knows she sometimes misunderstands or misses information. She is grateful that people are willing to act as interpreters, but says she would like to improve and strengthen her skills so she no longer has to rely on that kind of help.

 

Brandon, 24, cannot attend classes as regularly as he would like because of irregularities in his work schedule. He, too, wants to strengthen his skills so he can feel more confident about the information he receives at work, in conversations and from television and news broadcasts. He expresses gratitude for the opportunity to learn.

 

Wheeler mentions that among the three class times she leads each week, she typically has about 15 learners, although numbers rise and fall.

 

What she can state firmly is that she and the current participants would gladly welcome more.

 

The Central Building is located at 501 East Elm Avenue, and is most easily entered from the north side. More information about the ESL classes is available at the Adult Basic Education Hotline, https://hotline.mnabe.org/display/site/105, or by calling 507-665-4626.