Azusa Library
Provides Range of Bilingual Adult Literacy Programs
In addition to basic reading
skills for English speakers, Azusa City Library’s adult
literacy program offers courses for Spanish speakers as well as a new
civics class that assists immigrants in gaining U.S. citizenship while
improving their English-speaking abilities.
In a Feb. 5 presentation by
Cathay Reta, the library’s adult literacy coordinator, members of the Azusa
Library Commission learned about the program’s continuing expansion set to take
place this year. Reta highlighted ongoing developments pertaining to classes and
financing, which comes predominantly from federal, state and grants from
private-sector organizations.
“Literacy is one of the
foundational structures that touches every social issue and need in our
society,” Reta told Azusa Beacon. “We talk a lot about education and needing to
help children learn and improve their academics, but we know from research and
just common sense that it starts with the parents at home being able to read to
the children. … Unfortunately adult literacy and adult education does not get
much attention, but that’s really where we start building the skills in
children.”
A 2012 study by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that U.S. literacy
scores were below the international average, ranking 16th out of 24 countries
mostly in Europe as well as Japan, Korea and Canada. One in six American adults
has low literacy skills.
In Azusa 31 percent of
residents were born outside the United States, according to 2010 U.S. Census
data. A quarter of the city’s population speaks English “less than very well,”
and 11.6 percent of Spanish-speaking immigrants in Los Angeles County are
illiterate.
The library currently offers
five adult literacy courses that are free of charge and open to all, including
those who aren’t Azusa residents.
~ Basic Literacy features
instruction for English-speaking adults
~ Inspired Citizenship teaches
the basics about U.S. history and government for gaining citizenship.
~ Grassroots ESL, or English as
a Second Language
~ Spanish Literacy for Spanish
speakers
~ Health Literacy Learning, healthy
living and disease prevention.
