Blue Hills Regional's English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program holds year-end celebration

PHOTO CAPTION: Marlene Chedid of Norwood at the year-end celebration held by Blue Hills Regional's English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program in June. Ms. Chedid was a member of the Program's Class of 2017. Photo by Judy Bass.

By Judy Bass

When one of the graduates accepted his certificate of achievement at the recent year-end celebration for the students enrolled in the Adult Education – English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program from Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton, he uttered a famous maxim: “A journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step.”

For many of the fifty male and female students ranging in age from 19 to 50-plus who finished the program that day, taking that crucial first step of signing up for it may have been daunting. Most of them are from far-flung lands around the globe, such as Brazil, China, Lebanon, Haiti, Pakistan and India, and are just starting to get acclimated to life here in America.

However, as they jubilantly acknowledged, taking the program was definitely worthwhile and will ultimately help them to attain their goals and dreams. They can now speak English with ease and fluency, and handle typical situations that arise as a part of daily life in this country with confidence.

Some of the tasks they are able to do more readily, according to Ms. Borgenicht, include helping their children with their homework, getting a better job, feeling more comfortable socially, relating to their neighbors and being active members of the community.

In her remarks to the class, Director of Blue Hills Adult Education Ellen Borgenicht said, “As a student in our Adult ESOL program, not only are you instructed in the art of English language communication, you also learn how to navigate the day to day here in the United States. This year some of you got jobs; some of you got better jobs. Many of you learned how to make an appointment with your doctor or with your child’s teacher, you learned how to navigate the web, where to go to buy your favorite foods; how to write a resume, search for a job, fill in a job application … the list is long!”

A few of the brightest success stories in the group stand out in Ms. Borgenicht’s mind. “Maria Amaya was promoted to restaurant manager as a result of hard work and English language acquisition; Nayfa Sarhan is headed to college in the fall. I saw students actually standing taller as they gained confidence in themselves and their language proficiency.”

The program is funded by a grant, so the students pay no tuition or fees. There are several levels of instruction, depending on the student’s ability – Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced I and Advanced II. Classes are held mornings at 28 Draper Lane in Canton. Each proficiency level meets for a minimum of six hours per week. The schedule is 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., two to three mornings a week. School is open Monday through Friday.

In addition to Ms. Borgenicht, the staff includes Tammy MacDonald, administrative assistant and tech teacher, along with teachers Cindy Pardi, Pia Lalli, Jackie Huckle and Marie Kelley. Beth Gould is a teacher and college / career advisor.

The next session of the program begins on September 12, 2017. Interested members of the public can register by emailing Tammy MacDonald at tmacdonald@bluehills.org. The phone number is 781-298-3111. The web site is adulted.bluehills.org.

Ms. Borgenicht emphasizes that the program provides a welcoming atmosphere for all students. “We are a kind, caring program that promotes a culture which supports and meets each student where they are. We help them feel comfortable by assigning them a student mentor, providing an orientation, connecting them with a college/career advisor, and helping them to establish goals for themselves here in the U.S.”