A Distric School Helps Decrease Language Barriers
By: Jennifer Penate
Updated: July 10, 2012
PITTSBURG, KS.--- Roberto Chirrinos is from Peru and now lives in Pittsburg, Kansas. He's been in the states for just a year and a half, and working hard to be completely fluent in English.
"The grammar is difficult," says Chirrinos.
To improve his language skills he enrolled in a summer session called "English for Speakers of Other Languages" or ESOL, hosted by the Pittsburg school district.
"We work on speaking proficiency listening proficiency and also just adjusting to American culture," states Regina Winemiller, ESOL Teacher.
Regina Winemiller is teaching at the session, she believes having the class during the summer benefits students more than taking an ESOL course during the school year.
"We don't have the pressure to do the math homework and the biology homework. I can just have conversation with them and they're more relaxed and more receptive to the language," state Winemiller.
The more relaxed learning environment is something Chirrino enjoys.
"The games that we play here, scrabble, apples to apples," says Chirrino.
What are simple games to us are crucial to his education, it helps him expand his vocabulary at a faster rate.
"Try to memorize the words because it's a new language and it's kind of difficult to remember," says Chirrino.
Chirrino is 1 of 30 spanish speaking students between kindergarten and the 12th grade are enrolled in the month long program.
Chirrino is off to Pittsburg State in the fall to study mechanical engineering.
