Twin Lakes Literacy Council

Abel Arellano

Abel Arellano passed his Commercial Drivers’ License exam---in English.  A native of Mexico, Abel came to Twin Lakes Literacy Council in October 2006 to improve his English skills.  His conversational English skills were excellent, but he had difficult reading and writing in another language.   

Abel studied three times a week at Twin Lakes Literacy Council for the exam.  His desire to pass the test increased when he got a job when the Arkansas Highway Department, which requires a CDL from its employees within three months of employment.  Abel worked with two different tutors.  Don Worrall met with Abel on Friday mornings, reviewing difficult vocabulary words in the trucking manual.  Rex Saylor, a retired truck driver, met with Abel on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after Abel got off work.  Rex would review the questions that Abel might face on the test. 

In December 2006, Abel passed his CDL exam.  He says he now uses his CDL license every workday, driving a truck that is 37’ long with a 45’ trailer. 

Abel returned to tutoring in 2007 in order to improve his reading skills.  He currently studies two to three times a week with AmeriCorps Volunteer Sue Herrick, arriving for lessons during a work week that is often 50 hours long.  In February 2009, Abel finished Laubach, Book 1 and received a certificate.  “He’s got that pioneer spirit,” says his tutor, Sue Herrick.  “He’s willing to do whatever it takes to learn.” 

Why is education to important to him?  “I can do something better in the future if I want to,” Abel says.  “I can help my kids.  I can understand what they say in an application.”

Abel stresses the need to set goals in life.  “The more afraid you are, the more you’ll never make it.  You have to be positive.”

Jum Kannika

Every week for two hours, Jum Kannika learns English with TLLC Tutor Gale Cantrell.  Together, they work to achieve Jum’s goal:  to understand and speak conversational English. 

Jum began learning English as a student in Thailand.  She learned to read and write but never became fluent.  “My school is too small,’ Jum says.  “Stop classes. No more English.”

Jum arrived in Mountain Home in August 2008 when she was 29 years old.  She started lessons twice a week with tutor Gale Cantrell, studying the Laubach Way to English.  “Gale is good teacher,” Jum says.  “She can help me.” 

“I need to speak English,” she says.  “I no understand for people say.”  Jum works diligently at her lessons each week.  In fact, she came back for lessons 1 1⁄2 weeks after having a baby so Jum and Gale could continue working through Laubach Book 2.  And after 8 months, Jum has already improved in her speaking ability, progressing from Level 1 to Level 2 on the Basic English Skills Test. 

“Jum can understand so much more now,” says Gale Cantrell.  “She can speak so much more now.  I can really see a difference in her understanding.”

Donnie Harden

When Donnie came to Twin Lakes Literacy Council in October 2005, he wanted to read more efficiently so that he could pass the reading portion of the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) exam. “I messed up my back,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything, but I always wanted to be a truck driver.” 

Donnie worked every week with volunteer tutor Evelyn Osborn. They read the CDL manual together. “He already knew about trucks. I knew about tests, so I could help him prepare for the test questions,” Evelyn said. They studied for the test by practicing vocabulary words and identifying different parts of the truck. Evelyn said, “I learned a lot about trucks myself.” 

In May 2006, Donnie was ready for the test. On his first try, he missed a passing score by one question. He passed the second time he took the exam. He went on to pass the driving portion of the test. This fall, Donnie got a job at Werner Enterprises and now drives an eighty thousand pound semi into 48 states. He has gone from having difficulty paying bills to making payments on a house and having a job that he enjoys. “I like seeing places I haven’t been yet,” he says. 

“His perseverance and dedication to reach his goal made a difference in his ability to accomplish this,” Evelyn says. 

When asked what advice he has for other students, Donnie replied, “I would just tell them to study a lot and just do it. It helped me out a lot.” 

Heba Al-Batayneh

Every week for four hours, Heba Al-Batayneh polishes her English vocabulary skills with TLLC tutor Ruth Ann Stautzenberger. Together they work to achieve Heba’s goal: to score well on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). 

Heba arrived from Jordan last year, newly married and recently graduated with a degree in accounting from a university in Jordan. Heba had two goals when she entered the literacy council. Her first goal was to make sure that she passed the GRE—a difficult test even for Americans. Her second goal was to become conversationally fluent. Because she thought in Arabic, her English sentences often had long pauses in them as she sought for a word. She took the Test of Adult Basic Education, scoring a 2.3 grade level in reading and a 2.9 grade level in language. 

Heba was placed with ESL tutor Ruth Ann Stautzenberger in August 2006. In the past nine months, they have worked together twice a week, averaging two hours per session. Their lessons have covered additional vocabulary skills, conversational practice and study of the GRE itself. This month they have accessed the GRE practice tests on the internet and spend at least half of each lesson on that. At the end of the lesson, they reward themselves by reading aloud from Swiss Family Robinson. 

Heba has shown great improvement. Her last test in November 2006 showed a gain to a score of 5.7 in reading and 5.6 in language. She is scheduled to test again in May 2007. 

Heba has also become more fluent; her English sentences flow easily from one word to another. The vocabulary she has painstakingly put to memory is now right at hand for her to use in conversation. Last week I heard Heba and Ruth Ann reviewing vocabulary words. “Do you know what ‘mutability’ means,” Ruth Ann asked. Heba replied, “Yes, able to change.” I was glad to hear that Heba knew the meaning of the word—I didn’t. 

Last week Heba gave her first speech in English. She addressed one hundred people at the Literacy Council’s Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. Her audience included representatives from the local newspaper, the mayor and our state representative. Heba gave a speech that was both clear and precise, thanking her tutor and the Literacy Council for her gains in vocabulary and diction. “I like my lessons,” she said at the end of her speech. “And I thank you America. Thank you.” 

Irena Newland

Irena Newland, a native of Siberia, finds that tutoring has helped her find a new home in the Ozarks.  Irena came to Twin Lakes Literacy Council four years ago in order to improve her pronunciation and conversational skills. “I wanted to be understood by people,” she says. “It seemed like people were squeezing their eyes and moving their ears toward me, trying to understand what I had to say.”  

Irena began lessons with ESL tutor Bill Weeks; she was later tutored by Caron Davis.  Together they have studied pronunciation, vocabulary, dialogues and the American way of life.  “I now have a Siberian-Ozark accent,” she writes. 

In the past year, Irena also began studying with Tutor Billie Seef in TLLC’s American Citizenship class. “I want to know and understand the country of the United States that has become a new home for me,” she says. She reviewed the American political system through the class citizenship books. Her interest led her to study the Declaration of Independence and parts of the Constitution. “We just took a dictionary and went through it,” her tutor Billie Seef remarks. “I’ve never had a student even request that before.” 

Irena’s literacy council lessons have helped her to better understand and integrate into American society. Her confidence has led her to not only continue as a student, but to become a volunteer. She assists with trainings for new literacy council tutors, helping them to understand the feelings and attitudes of new immigrants to America. Another volunteer activity is the annual party that Irena and her husband Charles give for TLLC volunteers.  Each year they open Newland’s Resort on the White River for an afternoon of singing and dancing.  

Irena also serves in TLLC’s Speaker’s Bureau, attracting potential volunteers to the agency. She has spoken to the Lutheran Women, the Professional Women’s Bureau, the Retired Teachers’ Association, MC’s on the local television station and the literacy council luncheon. Her speeches are always a great success. We believe that her pronunciation is now much clearer than many of us ‘southern folk’ in Mountain Home.  

Irena says that she enjoys her new role as a volunteer.  “It has helped me become a part of the community,” she says.

Linda Oliver

Linda Oliver came to the literacy council as a college-educated woman who needed to relearn basic skills—how to read, write and count money.   

When Linda was 36, she suffered a massive stroke that paralyzed her left side. As a left-handed person, this was especially difficult. Although she learned to walk and, with some difficulty, speak, money for rehabilitation quickly ran out. She relied on her husband to help her read, write, talk to strangers and handle a budget. 

Her husband’s death fifteen years later brought Linda to new difficulties—her husband was not only her best friend, but also the person who cared for her after her stroke.  That is when Linda came to Twin Lakes Literacy Council. A tutor from the literacy council noticed Linda in a grief group for new widows. She noticed that Linda did not speak during the group because she was too shy. “Things…just don’t come out right,” Linda told her. Bev convinced Linda to come to Twin Lakes Literacy Council for tutoring. “It doesn’t cost you anything,” Bev said.  “And I’ll be your tutor.”  Bev, a retired fourth grade teacher and literacy council volunteer, had plenty of experience helping students learn good reading and writing skills. 

And that’s how a great partnership was born. Bev and Linda studied sounds and letters of the alphabet, penmanship and sight words. She also began free classes at the Adult Education Center, practicing reading and conversational skills. 

After a year and a half of tutoring, another tragedy occurred. Bev’s sudden death in a car accident brought Linda’s tutoring to a halt. Finally, Linda decided to study again. She studies reading and writing on Mondays and Wednesdays with Evelyn Osborn and financial literacy on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Sue Herrick. In the morning, she also practices reading and computer skills at the Adult Education Center in Peggy Dukat’s class. 

Linda's reading scores show the great improvement she’s made in her studies. She has progressed 1.5 achievement levels in reading, one level in writing and has developed a fine cursive penmanship—using her left hand! Her main difficulty lies in relearning money.  “I just hate math,” she says, “but my tutor makes me do it.” They practice counting and writing numbers. 

Her skills have given her so much confidence that she’s added one more achievement to her list:  as a speaker for the literacy council. Although Linda has difficulty giving a speech, she can answer questions from prepared note cards given to her audience.  

Audiences love her. “What’s your greatest success?” one woman asked.  “Well, I’m here,” she says. “I can talk.  It’s because I’m so ornery. I can do it.”  

Now a veteran of six stage appearances, Linda is used to her audiences bursting into applause three or four times during her speeches. Some audience members will be in tears, and everyone laughs at her jokes.  

Linda remarked this week that she knew why audiences liked her. “Well, I like them,” she says.  “And they know it.”