Loreta and Crystal have been working together since January 2020 after Crystal completed our 18-hour ESOL tutor training program. Here is what they have to say about their time together:

“I am Loreta. I am from Albania. I have 5 years living here in Worcester. I miss the language but with the help that Crystal teacher is giving me, I am feeling something different. I understand sentences, I know how to read short passages, write a little, describe and more! Crystal is a great teacher. She finds my weakest part and works with me until she is convinced that I have learned it. The teacher gives me the opportunity to give my ideas. Thank you for this great job you are doing with me.” –Loreta

“Loreta and I have been in constant communication with one another during this pandemic. We have been video chatting through WhatsApp as well as texting. I’ve also been creating powerpoint slides as lessons for her. That way she can continue practicing how to read and write on her own and then we discuss and have conversation through video chat to review what she’s learned so far. It’s been an amazing experience. Not only are we tutors helping our students grow and flourish in this country, but we are also giving them a voice. The students need the language in order to survive, communicate, and defend themselves in this country. The only way to do this is to break down these barriers.” –Crystal

Who we are:

Olivia: I’ve lived in Worcester for about one year. I am from China and I came here for school many years ago. I am thirty years old and I signed up for tutoring to improve my English speaking skills. I have been with my tutor, Joan, for about six months.

Joan: I am a retired lawyer and I became a Literacy Volunteer a few years ago. I wanted to work with people trying to find their place in a new country and community. Because that is a huge challenge, I thought students would be very motivated, positive and interesting individuals. And I was right!

What we have learned from tutoring:

Olivia: As I learned more cultural things and as my English has improved I have more confidence. I’m not afraid to talk with anyone now. I went to yoga class last week and introduced myself to a few people before class. When I went skiing I talked with people next to me in line and on the lift. I think understanding the culture is very important.

Things we have enjoyed doing together:

• Reading aloud and discussing books written for children or young people. These books have easier vocabulary, plot lines, are shorter than adult books and are fun.
• Reading and discussing newspaper articles about China and about American politics. This is difficult but rewarding.
• Finding and discussing unfamiliar vocabulary and idioms as we read and talk together.
• Talking about the similarities and the differences between China and America.
• Sharing some details about our respective cultures.
• Meeting in different places for weekly lessons. This gives us new topics of conversation and the chance for Olivia to practice conversation with other people. We have been to different coffee shops and the Courthouse where Joan used to work. We even spent one lesson talking about the American judicial system.
• Olivia was invited to speak at a Library Foundation event. She practiced her talk several times with Joan as the “audience”. We attended the event and Olivia did exceptionally well!

Favorite moments:

Both: When we have a conversation and are able to share our experiences in our families, our upbringing, and our different cultures with each other.

Olivia: Knowing I have the support of my tutor makes me happier.

Joan: Getting to know Olivia is a pleasure and having the opportunity to help her grow in her conversation skills and confidence is very rewarding.

Seetha shared the following story in a room of over 40 people. We are so proud of her accomplishments, including this speech.

My name is Seetha. I live in Shrewsbury and I come from India. I am working at Reliant Medical Group in Westborough. I am teaching religious scripts for small kids through conference calls on weekday evenings. In the future I am planning to volunteer at a hospice once a week.

In my community, I am surrounded by highly qualified people like doctors and engineers. One day I was frustrated at work trying to reply to emails. Most of my replies were one-word answers like yes, okay, no, and thank you. I asked my coworkers for help. One of my coworkers recommended Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester, and I signed up for tutoring.

Carol and I have been working together once a week for about 2.5 years. I have learned a lot from Carol. I have more confidence with my friends, in the workplace, and in the community.

Every week I look forward to my class. I book a room at the Shrewsbury Library. Carol brings a lot of interesting materials for my weekly class and homework. We discuss readings and sometimes laugh at the stories. I also learn English idioms from Carol. Those are my favorite moments.

I am thankful to the Literacy Volunteer group who introduced Carol in my life. She finds out what I need and how to improve my English. She patiently corrects my mistakes and teaches me how to fix the mistakes. She always encourages my work. Before I joined the program, I asked my kids to help me fix all the emails and text messages. Sometimes they would help, sometimes they would make faces. Now I reply to my emails with more confidence.

I was promoted from part time to full time at the front desk for lab and x-ray at Reliant Medical Group in Westborough.

I have improved my understanding of English reading comprehension.

I have more self-confidence.

I have increased my yearly test scores.

Finally, I accepted the invitation and spoke today.

This is my first English speech. Thank you for supporting me to learn English.