Adults face dearth of ESL classes: The waiting lists are long

There is a 6-18 month wait to get into ESL classes in this community. This same problem exists in almost every city in the country. DP

By JESSICA VAN SACK, The Patriot Ledger

Patriotledger.com: It took Federico Meono, 39, six years to find an English-as-a-second-language class that was right for him.

He now pays about $240 for 16 lessons, and travels from Lynn to Randolph to attend classes at American ESL Inc.

‘‘It was really not easy to find,’’ said Meono, who says he came here in 1994 to support his wife and children in his native Guatemala. ‘‘I am always working in restaurants and doing landscaping work.’’

While children are learning English at an improving rate, adults are having a difficult time finding a place to do so themselves.

‘‘There’s a shortage of ESL classes, teachers and money,’’ said Joan Shottenfeld, program coordinator for the adult English as a Second Language classes run by Randolph Public Schools.

Randolph schools have the capacity to teach English to 175 adults. Yet the waiting list to get into one of the classes can be anywhere from six to 18 months, depending on the level of familiarity with English.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.