A History of Helping Immigrants Learn English and, Even More Importantly, Find Community
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia have been providing English as a Second Language program (ESL) for adults in Bayonne for more than 17 years. The Sisters originally had opened a Welcome Center in Philadelphia to assist immigrants in learning the culture and language of their new country, so they could become more confident and self-sufficient. In Bayonne, where the sisters were serving, the community offered this assistance to any parish where needed. Pastor Joe Barbone of Assumption Church was happy to have an ESL program for his church’s growing Spanish population and the program began in October 2003 with ninety students. The following year when the Board of Ed rented Assumption classrooms, the program moved to St. Henry’s School. In 2022, St. Henry’s embarked on an extensive renovation project and the ESL program moved to its current location at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish Center.
In 2021, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Philadelphia handed the program over to their Associates in Mission to run. The Associates are men and women committed to supporting the good work of the Sisters, centered on the Congregation’s commitment to “the dear neighbor.”
Over the years, hundreds of men and women have gone through the program in their quest to better communicate in English and to learn the culture of their new country. With a focus on serving the Bayonne Community’s needs, The SSJ Associates’ ESL program coordinates efforts with the Grace Lutheran Church’s Helping Hands program in Bayonne.
At Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the SSJ program offers learners a morning program that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and an evening program that meets every Thursday from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Classes are held October through March. The classes are all taught by volunteer teachers. Learners pay small registration fee and they pay for their books as well, which this year remains at $45.
At this adult program, in keeping with the Sisters’ commitment to “the dear neighbor,” teachers are in agreement that providing the community of immigrants with a sense of belonging and support in their new home, is as valuable as any language skills they may acquire. In fact, the program’s teachers often marvel that they themselves learn far more from these people than they ever will learn from the teachers!
Learners are tested and placed into the appropriate level for them. Classes are provided at a Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Intermediate level. Depending on the abilities of the learners and the availability of teachers, extra classes that bridge the gap between levels may be added to best address needs.
Learners this year came from across the globe, representing many countries, including Egypt, Viet Nam, Peru, Equator, Columbia, Honduras, El Salvador, Afghanistan, The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Ukraine, Russia, Morocco and others.
English is a difficult language! Because the classes are not designed as an intense, immersion-style course, many learners have been coming to the sessions for a number of years, repeating levels and building on skills picked up year-after-year. Learning to communicate in the supermarket, with a healthcare provider, with their children’s teachers and with their neighbors is a difficult process, and requires much hard work.
As teachers, we would like to offer some advice to those of you in the community who are interacting with our learners. When you encounter someone struggling to make themselves understood, patience and encouragement can go a long way to helping them build the confidence to continue their journey to fluency.