Teacher helps break language barrier
“For about 10 years now, I’ve been teaching adults how to speak English. It’s through Harris County Department of Education. I want the world to be a better place. How better to contribute to that than by teaching these folks who come here and want to learn the language.
“Initially, classes were full of people from Mexico. Then came Central America and South America. We’ve also had folks from Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Pakistan — just all over.
“I have a lady from Honduras who only completed third grade. So she’s very limited. Her children speak English. She does not. I’m not sure if she wants to become a citizen. Maybe she just wants to help her kids with homework. Or she just wants to make an appointment with a doctor in English.
“Then you’ve got your educated who come with degrees: heavy duty attorneys, doctors, civil engineers. They want to go through the process of learning English, and then move on in their career paths.
“I don’t play favorites with the educated. I teach everyone like they’re human, with dignity. I may have to work a lot harder outside of class with the lady from Honduras to make sure she understands the grammar piece. But that’s OK. We can do that.
“As part of our curriculum, there also are citizenship classes. It teaches a history of the United States, the good and the ugly. These people want to be here. So why not create an adult learning community that knows our culture. That’s important to me.
“I can remember back in ’81 at the University of Houston doing a play about Jose Campos Torres, who was drowned by the Houston cops. Also when HISD tried to charge tuition for the children of undocumented workers to learn. That’s crazy. We can’t do that. Because of that background, I feel like these folks need a chance in America. I’m part of that chance. And that motivates the hell out of me.”
— Natalia Guzman
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