UNDERSTANDING AN UNFAMILIAR LANGUAGE

Karla Renya and Jesse Macias-Fernandez giggled when Lana Andrews read them the story of "La Gallanita Roja," who scurried around trying to get the other farm animals to help her plant corn, harvest it and then bake bread.

The children, both 5, weren't laughing because the story of "The Little Red Hen" was so comical but because Andrews wasn't pronouncing the words correctly in Spanish.

After Andrews finished reading the story, the kindergartners at Franklin Elementary School translated it into English.

Reading storybooks is just one method Andrews uses for students trying to learn English as a second language.

"We find that some fairy tales are universal," Andrews said. And because children are familiar with the stories in their native languages, they can more easily understand them in English.

The Cape Girardeau School District has 42 students whose first language was not English, and half of them receive one-on-one instruction during the week to reinforce language skills or help them master reading comprehension. Some also receive tutoring in other subjects.

The languages spoken include Arabic, Macedonian, Polish, Igbo and Spanish.

Three years ago, the district offered instruction to about 10 English as a Second Language students who needed one-on-one lessons.

International appeal

Andrews, who works part-time as an ESL instructor and also teaches English at Central Junior High School, expects the position to be full-time next year because of the need.

"I don't expect to see the numbers go down," Andrews said. More and more international families are discovering that the Cape Girardeau area has the amenities they are seeking.

Svetla Georgieva, 14, and her family specifically sought out a smaller, university town when they came to America earlier this year from Bulgaria, a Balkan country on the Black Sea.

Svetla didn't speak much English, although some lessons had been taught at her schools. She often carries a language dictionary with her so she can translate words.

Not only was Svetla learning a new language but a new culture and environment when she arrived at Central Junior High School.

"They have just started teaching English in the Eastern European countries, so she had had maybe a year of the language," Andrews said.

Svetla also had to learn about changing classes throughout the day. In Bulgaria, the teachers change classrooms and the students stay in one room.

Svetla has also learned how to operate a computer since coming to America. She sent e-mail to a friend living in Bulgaria last week.

Making them comfortable

When an ESL student enrolls in the district, Andrews makes sure the students meet with their teachers and feel as comfortable as possible at school.

Sometimes, she even has to make sure the students are eating food can sometimes be as much of a barrier as the language. The first day Svetla attended classes, she didn't eat anything in the school cafeteria, and Andrews had to keep offering her apples and pretzels.

Now Svetla has learned to enjoy pizza, potatoes and ice cream all words she can speak clearly in English.

Mario Herrera, 16, came to Cape Girardeau from Guanajato, Mexico, last year to live with his grandmother and uncles. He spoke no English when he arrived, and an uncle had to translate so he could enroll in school.

But Mario has made progress in the last year. Now he can start on his assignments before meeting with Andrews and doesn't have as many questions about his lessons. Before, he had to have Andrews translate his assignments into Spanish so he could do the work.

"I would bring my homework and she would help me to do some worksheets," Mario said. "Sometimes I would get angry because it was hard to understand."

But Mario is the resident expert when it comes to pronunciations of Spanish words. A social studies teacher came into Andrews' classroom during Mario's tutoring session to ask him for help in pronouncing the name of a volcano in Mexico.

The teachers have been very supportive and compassionate, Andrew said. "We're learning from them as much as the students are from us."

Adjustments at home

One part of ESL lessons are making sure the families are adjusting to their new culture and surroundings. Andrews makes home visits to meet with the parents and talk about their child's progress.

In some cases, the parents also speak minimal English. Programs at the Career and Technology Center offer English-speaking courses for adults, as does Southeast Missouri State University.

Speaking a native tongue at home can be a stress reliever for the students, Andrews said.

"It's a high stress situation to think and speak in English all day. A lot of times it's a release for them" to go home and speak to someone who understands every word, she added

Svetla had been having a difficult time with her new language, but Andrews found another ESL student to help ease the stress. A student at L.J. Schultz School from Macedonia also speaks Bulgarian.

Andrews arranged for the girls to meet at Halloween and asked that Svetla only speak to her in Bulgarian. Now the girls call each other on the telephone and meet during the weekend, Andrews said.

Many times the families who are new to the area will rely on others to interpret or show them around. Karla's family used an interpreter to help enroll her in school, as did Svetla's parents.

"We teach them survival language like how to order off the menu and all the things they need to know" when they leave school, Andrews said.