Teaching "Englese"!

[Made in the USA]

continued education for employees
Lifelong learning
By Ashley Nietfeld
Dodge City Daily Globe



Michael Schweitzer/Daily Globe Greta Clark, right, an English as a Second Language teacher, works with Cargill Meat Solutions employee Vilma Morales Wednesday afternoon in one of the classrooms at the plant.
The students sit in groups of four, hunched over notepads or talking quietly on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. There's a sense of collective learning in the air. The students didn't try to outshine one another and instead worked as a group to accomplish the assignment.



This isn't your ordinary classroom. The group of students are workers at Cargill Meat Solutions and are participating in an optional English as a Second Language class.




"By taking this initiative, you're helping yourselves and your future," said Troy Gilliam, the human resources manager at the plant, as he spoke to the students during class.



Cargill and National Beef work in conjunction with Dodge City Community College to provide ESL classes to their Spanish-speaking employees. The program is comprised of three levels and is free to any employee who wishes to sign up.

In fact, the employees are encouraged to take the classes, which will allow them the opportunity to move into the management positions. One of the requirements to move into management is the ability to read and write in English.

For each level a student passes, he or she receives one hour of college credit. After completing all three levels, many students often transfer to the Adult Learning Center, obtain a GED and even continue on to academic-level programs at DCCC.

"We want to send the message that lifelong learning is a necessity," said Greta Clark, who teaches the classes at both of the plants.

By the time the students reach level three, many of them are eager to continue their education.

"Students in those classes are more engaged. Their faces just say, 'I want to learn more, give me more,'" Clark said.

The classes do more than just teach English, though. They also incorporate civic information and emphasize American culture.

DCCC also provides a Preparation for Citizenship class that teaches its students the information needed to pass a citizenship interview, in addition to stressing the resources available in Dodge City, such as the public library, t he recycling center and even the town's history.

"We teach this so they can become more involved in the community," said Clark.

Some of the students in Wednesday's class were more vocal, volunteering answers to the questions Clark threw at them. Others were more quiet, focusing on the handout in front of them, solving the answers in their heads. Either way, the students came together in this classroom on their own. None were forced or cajoled or mandated. The choice was theirs, and therein lies their determination to succeed.

Reach Ashley Nietfeld at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail her at ashley.nietfeld@dodgeglobe.com



It is good that these employees are wanting to learn the language. However, who is paying for it???

[Zeb]

Learn some Engliese and get one hour of college credit?


Ok, go out there and tell them you would like to test out in every computer course they offer and see what their reaction is. Like an idiot I was 3 hours from my general associates. I met my wife and had a child and dropped out of college to provide for my family. I read every book I could get my hands on in the late 80's to learn computers myself. At night I fixed computers until I finally landed a job in a real I/T dept in the late 90's that was stable enough to leave my old profession. A couple of years ago I went to the college to see about testing out in their computer courses as they are basic stuff I would not need any study time for finals. They looked at me like they had never heard of that before. Instructor told me I would need to talk to registar and registar said I needed to talk to the instructor. I finally gave up on DCCC because no one knew what to do and I could not get a straight or reliable answer. I didn't need a piece of paper to land a job, but it would be nice to have. Sad (but good) part is my son will graduate with his I/T degree before I ever get mine.

[TexKan]

My guess is Cargill is paying - it's an employee bennie I bet. I think it would be nice if they also had SSL classes - I gotta tell ya if I had access and my employer would pay - I would go. Just for the communication factor. The knowledge communication skills is never a skill wasted.

I feel for ya Zeb but I just don't know of any college credit course you can get credit for without paying. I know you can "test out" on some things but it's real difficult to test out without paying.

[Zeb]

I never said anything about not paying, I figured thats a given. They didn't seem to know you could test out. They acted like they have never had anyone request to test out in a subject before. I find that hard to believe.

[TexKan]

Ohhhhhhhh - OK....... they probably just are small town....... ohhhhh - it IS a small town!! There are too many quality internet access courses available why mess around with something you can get without a hassel?? Get the credits and get your degree!

[Made in the USA]

I tested out for "brain surgery" at DC3, but they haven't sent my degree certification yet!! Maybe that cowboy behind the maintenance building wasn't really an instructor????

[TexKan]

Last Cowboy I saw behind a building wasn't an instructor in maintenance either!!............

[lBugsy]

Last cowboy I saw behind the building was teaching how you replenish the Ogalala Aquifer.