Judith Robledo finds it difficult sometimes to communicate effectively in English at work and in the community.
To improve her English skills, Robledo enrolled in the English as a Second Language (ESL) class offered through Residential Life.
“It is better for everyone to learn to talk to everybody without being shy and afraid,” said Robledo, who is a Mexico native.
Robledo is one of 26 Hispanic MU employees taking the 16-week class that started Jan. 3 and ends April 27.
The ESL classes are a collaborative effort between Residential Life and the Columbia Area Career Center. Sections are offered for beginner and intermediate levels, with about 13 participants in each section. An instructor from the Career Center teaches the classes, which are held in a residential hall classroom.
Residential Life first offered ESL courses in 2007 for staff members who required assistance developing their English. Since then, the classes have returned periodically.
“The reason I pushed for offering the courses again was I think the language barrier these employees have prevents them from participating fully within the department activities and also the activities of the campus at large,” said Marilyn Shelby, training and development coordinator for Residential Life.
“One of my goals is to give them the confidence in communicating in English so they could take advantage of other training opportunities on campus.”
She wants the Residential Life staff to be able to learn things that will be useful to them in the workplace and in their personal lives.
“When we did the pretesting in the department,” Shelby said, “we could feel the excitement in the room.
“The participants were grateful and thrilled about the opportunity to learn more English skills because it will help them both personally and professionally.”