Hudson library reaches out to city's Bengali population

Here's an immigrant group most of us don't even realize is here. This library is helping them learn English and details about their community. DP

By Ariel Zangla, Freeman staff

dailyfreeman.com: HUDSON - America prides itself as a melting pot of different cultures and beliefs, but an understanding of the English language can help bring people together in a community.

Many immigrants who come to the United States take advantage of programs that teach English as a second language. While many of these programs are aimed at the growing Hispanic population, one catering to Bengali speakers will soon be offered at the Hudson Area Association Library.

Working with Literacy Connections of Dutchess County, the library will offer a program to help a growing population of Bangladeshi learn to speak, read and write English.

Margaret Pfaff, the executive director of Literacy Connections, said the new program, funded by the Dyson Foundation, will help both children and adults learn the English language. While adults are learning English in one area, children will be in a separate area working on literacy-based activities, she said.

"It's a purposeful curriculum to help enrich children," Pfaff said.

Bengali is an eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Two Bengali dialects are significant - Sadhu-Bhasa, the literary language, and Calit-Bhasa, which is colloquial speech.

Pfaff said the Hudson program will be directed toward Bengali-speaking individuals, but will welcome other ethnic groups and nationalities. She said the primary goal of the program is to teach people to reach, write and speak English, but secondary goals include teaching them more about their community.
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