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Amid the Health Crisis, English Learners Build Professional Skills, Confidence, and Friendship

May 1, 2020

Helpful. Excellent. Cooperative. Positive. Purpose. Words we all need right now. Words the participants use to describe Oakland Literacy Council’s (OLC) newest learning group.

This group of English language learners, led by OLC tutor Hannah Hilbert, works together to grow their professional skills – resumes, networking, interviewing, workplace culture, and more. It’s the first for Oakland Literacy Council on this topic. And one of the first groups to go virtual – they meet over Zoom every Thursday evening.

The timing could not have been better. The adult students are experiencing common frustrations of the pandemic. Lenise, originally from Brazil, wants to start looking for a job, but now “everything stopped.” For Sudha, a native of India, “24 hours staying home is difficult. It’s hard to manage kids and family.” Not being completely fluent in English yet, they feel an added layer of isolation during the shutdown.

It turns out the group is fostering more than professional skills. It is also fostering friendship. Sudha looks forward to sharing these 90 minutes each week with new friends. “It is very memorable and excellent for me.”

The facilitator, Hannah Hilbert, a regional business development specialist for Mercedes Benz Financial Services, has been an OLC tutor for 3 ½ years. Along with tutoring, she actively contributes to the OLC community at  professional development, social, and fundraising activities. Her inspiration for becoming a tutor came from an “alternative spring break” experience in college. She spent the week in Georgia volunteering with an organization that assists refugees with resettlement, including learning English.

Hannah speaks Spanish, German, and Portuguese. The idea for the professional skills learning group came from her involvement with foreign language professional groups here in the Detroit area.

Heading into the first session with the new group, Hannah wasn’t sure what to expect. She was so pleased that “everyone clicked really fast and they were really interested in helping each other out.”

Each week, Hannah sends the students vocabulary lists and an assignment to prepare for the upcoming session. During the session, the group has time to socialize, share homework, give each other feedback, and review new lessons. For Takara from Japan, it has been helpful to learn to write a resume in “the American way” and understand the differences in work culture between the United States and her home country. Lenise appreciates learning all the new vocabulary needed to apply for a job. Sudha feels more prepared to introduce herself to prospective employers now that she has prepared an “elevator pitch.”

Abir, a native of Lebanon, is in the process of interviewing for jobs. She values this opportunity to improve the quality of her English. “All of us have hope to be more confident in English. Hannah gives us hope. Gives us motivation. [Hannah tells us], ‘Yes, you can do it! You’re going to do it! You’ll be fine.’ It’s a positive feeling.”

Talking to Hannah, it is clear the positive feeling goes both ways. “I feel like I am giving back to society, to the greater good. There were times when I felt lost in a foreign country because I couldn’t speak the language, and someone took me under their wing. Now I can pay it forward.”

Category: News

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Oakland Literacy Council
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Lesley TauroLesley Tauro
12:43 05 Sep 24
I love being a English Tutor with Oakland Literacy Council on a one-on-one basis as well as for a conversation group. Through OLC, I have had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people, many who have become friends.
Cynthia WersteinCynthia Werstein
23:48 04 Sep 24
I have enjoyed my ESL tutoring with Oakland Literacy Council. We received training to help us, help our students. I feel like I can reach out for additional help if needed. Not to forget, they offer outside activities, on occasion, so that the students and tutors can do some typical, but fun activities! OLC is a great organization to volunteer with.
Lisa BurnsLisa Burns
21:33 04 Sep 24
I've been volunteering with the OLC for about a year and a half, and it's been a great experience! I very much enjoy the tutoring sessions with the student whom they paired me with. She is a lovely person and I've learned a lot from her too. OLC makes tutoring easy for volunteers, with an easy-to-use curriculum, training, support, and social events. Highly recommend!
Qambar Ali SarwariQambar Ali Sarwari
19:50 04 Sep 24
Great team, motivational atmosphere, Thank you for your always support and help, especially the refresher training you provide to the tutors.Warm regards ,Ali
Brad RothBrad Roth
19:07 04 Sep 24
When I retired in 2020 (in the middle of the covid pandemic) I wanted to find ways to volunteer. As a former college professor, I am particularly concerned about education and literacy. Working with Oakland Literacy Council has been a wonderful experience for me. The staff at OLC (particularly Laurie Weeks) is so helpful and appreciative. I've gotten more hand-written thank you notes from Laurie in the last four years than from everyone else throughout the rest of my life combined. Volunteering for OLC lets me give back to society but enjoy retirement too. I highly recommend it.
Kelly TurnerKelly Turner
11:12 23 Aug 24
I would like to say How amazing Oakland literacy Council is I came in May To Continue my education and I thank god I found them they where at the bottom of the list when they should have been at the top of the list first off the staff is amazing they did everything by the book I did placement testing to figure out where to place me they took the time out to get the best tutors they also called and checked in on me and also motivated me to keep going and never give up they gave me the option to go online for tutoring or in person Stewart my tutor was amazing he took pride in educating me and never made me feel like I was bothering him patricia was amazing she stayed on me and stayed consistent they made me feel like familythe icing on the cake was how they acknowledged me on graduation day the whole team was there for me and my family and I was so happy and me and my kid's could feel the love it's nothing that I would not do for Oakland literacy I will be there spokesperson for life cause it's worth it and they have top notch tutors employees and the online tutor services is Phenomenal if you're seeking to continue your education look no more this is the place to go
Sanghee HanSanghee Han
11:59 22 Aug 24
I was so lucky to meet oakland literacy Council. Since OLC has been a great institute for me almost 2 years. And they helped my english improve and give me some good talking classes for learning new culture here as well. Now that I graduated from a reading program at OLC, I feel like I'm still with them. Really appreciate it.
BAIYANG LAIBAIYANG LAI
19:36 15 Aug 24
In the past three years I learned English with Oakland Literacy. I met quite a few tutors in one by one tutoring and some conversation groups. Those tutors were so incredible and awesome! They really really helped me a lot in my English. My gratitude to all of them is beyond words!
jung min sonjung min son
17:36 15 Aug 24
Thank you for having me with your excellent support.. I really enjoyed learning English and having conversation class with others. I made some good friends and I think Oakland Literacy Council is very good for people who need English support 👏 👍
Joseph Lee (Jo)Joseph Lee (Jo)
16:39 15 Aug 24
Oakland Literacy Council was a very good program for me as my second language. I evaluated my English ability through English listening and reading tests and matched my tutor accordingly. As a result, my English improved a lot. And most of all, it was free.
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OAKLAND LITERACY COUNCIL 51111 Woodward Ave., Suite 720, Pontiac, MI 48342

(248) 253-1617, info@oaklandliteracy.com

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