English as a Second Language programs empower students to continue rising up
Yan Chen immigrated to Fremont from Guangzhou, the sprawling capital city of Guangdong province in southeastern China. In China, she completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration and spent 15 years as a technical and operational manager for an insurance company.
However, in her new home in California, Chen struggled to communicate.
“My English was very poor,” she said.
So in her 40s, she went back to school — determined to grasp the intricacies of a language with intonations and an alphabet radically different from her native tongue.
“I have built up a lot of confidence.”
Yan Chen, Student
It wasn’t until a friend from her local church helped her enroll in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Fremont Adult and Continuing Education that she made real progress.
The school’s ESL teachers assessed Chen’s current level of English proficiency and worked with her to develop a set of goals specific to her needs.
In addition to learning English, Chen was also taught how to write a resume, use an English computer and understand important documents like leases and work contracts. These are important skills necessary to any individual building a new career, but especially tricky for immigrants who don’t speak English.
After her teachers encouraged her to look at the Southern Alameda County Consortium for Adult Education’s other adult schools for possible career paths, Chen enrolled in New Haven Adult School’s Residential and In-Home Care Training program where she discovered a new calling in health care.
“It is a totally new field for me,” she said. “I learned about the common diseases, infections and chronic illnesses found in residential care settings. I also learned how to prevent accidents, disease and injury, and how to promote healthy lifestyles through stress management, sports, crafts and hobbies. From this class, I built a lot of medical words into my vocabulary.”
This new field inspired Chen to continue studying nursing and work with the aging population, a career she is still pursuing through education.
“I want to help vulnerable people who are sick and help enhance the quality of their lives,” she said.
Chen is also still taking English classes. She recently enrolled in the Advanced ESL Grammar and Writing for College and Work class at Fremont Adult and Continuing Education.
“Right now, I can express myself easily in English,” she said. “I have built up a lot of confidence to speak directly to native speakers and can read my medical textbook.”
Speaking English and setting new goals has also helped Chen embrace her new and diverse home. She said that one day she wants to find a job where she can work with people from different countries and cultural backgrounds.
For more Information visit sacc-adulted.org.
Written by Corey Rodda
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Bay Area California | Careers in Health Care – English as a Second Language |
