Wish granted: Class helps parents learn English

Assistant principal Kerry Mohnike pointed to a sentence projected onto a board. “She went to the doctor,” said Mohnike, slowly and carefully articulating each word.

Thirty-one students — all of them adults — stared at the board, carefully listening to Mohnike’s pronunciation of the sentence. “She went to the doctor,” a medley of assorted accents chanted back. 

After a student made a wish that his parent could to learn English in order to feel more comfortable coming to school events, the administration and Leadership class students reviewed and granted that wish and started sponsoring free English classes. The classes are part of a larger campaign put on by the school to help make student wishes come true as a result of Speak up for Change week.

The 10-week course is taught by Mohnike and is held on Monday evenings in room 201.

“[It] seemed like a great opportunity to offer something to families that would also help to bring the community together in a productive way,” Mohnike said.

The classes generally consist of several reading, writing and speaking exercises on a subject the students are interested in, and ends with homework based on English language application.

Mohnike said that there are vast differences in teaching adults to speak a different language as opposed to teaching high-school students.

“Many of the adult students are highly educated in their native languages, so they understand what it takes to learn,” Mohnike said. “Language, however, is often difficult for adults to learn because it requires making associations that have already been formed. Adults are more patient in many ways, yet they have the liberty to not attend if the class is not fitting their needs.” 

Mohnike hopes that the class will be another outreach to the community that shows the hospitality of Saratoga High.  

“We care about our community. We want people to feel like they can come to the school as a resource, and we want to support students and [help] their families find happiness and success,” Mohnike said. “I hope the students gain confidence in their English communication skills. I also want them to develop their own support system within the class.”  

SHS parent Jennifer Chang started attending the class because she wanted to improve her writing and grammar skills.

“I’m OK at talking, listening and watching television, but I’ve always had trouble with writing in English,” Chang said. “Whenever I write emails, I always ask my daughter to proofread, and she always finds something grammatically wrong.”

Student Baoxin He, however, feels that he needs to improve his English communication skills. His brother’s son attended Saratoga High, so he thought that the class would be a good opportunity for him to learn more English.

“When I work [in the United States], I can read and write, but I cannot listen or talk well,” He said. “English is really essential to living life in the United States. No English, no anything.” 

Couple Jiazhen Lu and Guilin Lu hope to learn more English to become more independent and limit their dependence on their daughter.

“When we came to the United States, we decided to stay at our daughter’s house,” Jiazhen said. “[My daughter] has to accompany me for average tasks, such as shopping and getting around, and I don’t want to take as much of her time. [Guilin] wants to understand more of American society, and he wants to learn enough English to make more friends and read American newspapers.”

Mohnike believes that the class will have long-term benefits for the students, expanding their vocabulary and generally improving their English skills.

“One can only imagine if one has never experienced the frustration of being an intelligent person who struggles to communicate in a new language,” Mohnike said. “There is much patience and encouragement needed, but the rewards are endless.  I have always enjoyed the eagerness and applauded the courage of adults learning a new language.”