Every Thursday evening at 6 p.m., a small group gathers in the cafeteria of Maitland Presbyterian Church. Their reason for coming together has nothing to do with faith or religion. At first glance, they have little in common.
Members of this particular group hail from Ecuador and Columbia, Haiti and Puerto Rico, France and Hungary. They speak Spanish, Creole, French and Hungarian. What they share is a desire to learn to speak English, which they are practicing with volunteers β many of whom are ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ students.
β[Students are] not only learning the language, thereβre learning what they need to know β¦ in day-to-day life.β β Iman Al-Shabibi, LLC director and ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student
The Churchβs Language Learning Center was started in November 2016 to address a need in the community for a growing immigrant and refugee population in the area, says pastor Megan Collins. The program runs from August through May with monthly subjects focusing on topics that are useful in everyday life, such as finance, transportation, health and education.
Unlike other language assistance programs, the center serves people who speak any language, rather than just one, and provides specialized assistance from volunteers at the start and end of each class. The lesson plans also includes some real-world practices, such as the annual field trip through Winter Park that allows students to learn how to use public transportation.
βWhat we follow is a method that is kind of loosely based on a model I learned about in my classes [at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½,]β says Iman Al-Shabibi, the centerβs director and a senior communications sciences and disorders major. β[We] try to get [students] immersed in it as much as possible. Theyβre not only learning the language, thereβre learning what they need to know β¦ in day-to-day life. That may not be what [others are] taught in a traditional classroom.β
Local Outreach
Shortly before the program celebrated its two-year anniversary, Al-Shabibi took over leadership of the center. She started volunteering there in 2017 after learning about the opportunity through the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ chapter of the , a pre-professional organization for students within her field.
For years, the association has provided members with opportunities to work with local elementary school students with autism spectrum disorder or Down syndrome. When the center reached out to the organization looking for volunteers, it was natural for its members to become involved.
βItβs really interesting to help people in my community and get to know people I normally wouldnβt talk to.β β Madison Buford, ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student
βI think itβs good to be connected to the community through NSSHLA,β says Madison Buford, a senior communication sciences and disorders major and NSSHLA member. βItβs really interesting to help people in my community and get to know people I normally wouldnβt talk to.β
Buford started volunteering in November and typically does so three times a month. Most recently sheβs been working with two brothers, ages 13 and 11, from Mexico. But most often she works with young adults who want to learn English to find jobs and provide for their families. Buford has had her own challenges with adjusting to life in a foreign country.
βI studied abroad in Korea and went through a similar program there,β she says. βSo I think itβs just really interesting to be able to do the opposite where I help people with English, and I really empathize with their struggle.β
Holistic Approach
In November and December, several students from ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs partnered with the center to lead sessions on nutrition and health. Lessons included how to find healthy foods at the grocery store, how to access healthcare services in Orlando, and even practicing how to talk about medical issues or concerns with practitioners.
βDifferent religions or societal upbringings can have a huge impact on a patientβs perspective on healthcare issues,β says volunteer Michael Mankbadi, a ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ medical student who moved to the United States from Egypt when he was 5. βFor example, different cultures often have various perspectives on end of life issues and understanding that perspective is essential for providing the right care.β
βBecause I came to the United States so young, learning English came more naturally to me. β¦ [But my parents] went through that culture shock of coming to a new country, not really knowing anyone and had to go through that process of learning a new language, learning a new culture.β
These are part of the reasons Mankbadi was interested in volunteering with the center, but his main motivation was to use his expertise to give back to the community. In turn, heβs become more mindful of how culture can impact medical treatment, and heβs working to line up ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ volunteers to assist with the centerβs nutrition and health units at the end of 2019.
Impacting Students and Teachers
No matter the level of their English skills, students are always welcome to the program. Some have arrived in the United States just days before their first session while others have been living in America for years.
βFor me, [attending the center] is a good experience to meet American people who speak English with different accents so I can speak more fluently.β β VΓ©ronique Benouaich, LLC student
One dedicated student is VΓ©ronique Benouaich, who lived in France until she married and relocated to Florida five years ago. Benouaich practiced physical therapy for more than 20 years in her native country. With a new start in the U.S., sheβs taken to pursuing a passion sheβs always had: art. Benouaich volunteers at the Albin Polasek Museum in Winter Park and runs an art gallery selling works from Parisian artists out of her home.
βFor me, [attending the center] is a good experience to meet American people who speak English with different accents so I can speak more fluently,β Benouaich says. βItβs important for me and my business, Art at Home, that I meet a lot of people, and I meet different people at the center.β
Since Benouaich started attending the center in September, Al-Shabibi says sheβs improved greatly because sheβs a dedicated learner. That quality has also helped Benouaich in her role as a teacher, which she fulfills as a French tutor to local middle and high school students. She even assists with new students at the center who are fluent in French.
β[Attending the centerβs classes] helps me to explain to others in English the different grammatical issues in the French language,β she says.
Benouaich knows that teaching others another language requires a lot of patience, which Al-Shabibi has a lot of, along with a welcoming friendliness that makes many of the students at the center feel comfortable.
The Programβs Future
Al-Shabibi balances her easy-going nature during weekly classes with disciplined organization throughout the week to fulfill the programβs administrative needs, such as developing lesson plans, connecting with current and potential students, and applying for grants. She does this on top of managing her own studies and a teaching-assistant position at a K-12 school.
βYou donβt need a lot to start it. You need a couple good people, good conversation and a passion for helping.β β Iman Al-Shabibi, LLC director and ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student
But sheβs looking to do even more with the program by advocating for more initiatives like this in Central Florida.
βIf we could have something like this [program] on every street corner then it would be doing its job,β Al-Shabibi says. βYouβre dealing with people who may not have a car, who may not know how to use public transportation or who may have to walk. So when itβs difficult to get here, they wonβt come.
After she graduates in the fall she hopes to stay on as director at the center, working full-time to further its mission. But even if more programs like this develop throughout the region without the centerβs name, she says sheβd be happy. In fact, she welcomes the idea of more organizations and people in the community helping others who are making their homes here.
βYou donβt need a lot to start it. You need a couple good people, good conversation and a passion for helping,β Al-Shabibi says.
