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<br />Narrative <br />page-2 <br /> <br />Further analysis of the population shows that 86% of those who <br />speak English as a second language (33% of the total population) <br />come from homes where Spanish is the primary language spoken. <br /> <br />The ESL population makes up a very large percentage of our <br />overall population, yet we feel that we are not adequately <br />serving their library and information needs. Therefore, we are <br />applying for an LSCA Title I grant to address this problem. <br /> <br />III. <br /> <br />STATEMENT OF NEED <br /> <br />At least 33% of our total population come from homes where <br />Spanish is the primary language spoken and 37% of the community <br />is of Hispanio origin. Yet, a survey of our library card <br />holders indicates that only 21% are Hispanio. Obviously, the <br />library is not doing an effective job of reaching a sizable <br />segment of the San Maroos oommunity--the Hispanio population. <br /> <br />Those who speak English as a second language (ESL) are much more <br />difficult to identify with regard to their use of the library. <br />It is probable that this group is even harder for the library to <br />reach than the Hispanio population. It is likely, therefore, <br />that we are also doing an inadequate job of serving people for <br />whom English is a second language. This may be due to the fact <br />that we do not offer the types of services, materials and <br />information they need or because the ESL community is simply not <br />aware of our services. Our proposal for LSCA Title I funding <br />will address both of these issues. <br /> <br />Thanks to an LSCA, Title I, grant which we obtained in FY 1987- <br />88 the library established a Lifelong Learning Project to <br />provide literacy and GED tutoring to adults with less than a <br />twelfth grade education. We have noticed that many individuals <br />who come to the library in search of GED instruction really need <br />to learn English. We currently have 18 students waiting for ESL <br />instruction and have only two ESL tutors. Our literacy and GED <br />tutors do not feel competent to tutor ESL students without first <br />being trained in ESL techniques. What we need to do now is <br />recruit and train a corps of volunteer ESL tutors, provide the <br />tutoring that our ESL patrons are requesting and expand our <br />existing Lifelong Learning Collection to include materials to <br />support ESL tutoring. <br /> <br />The Adult Education Department at the San Marcos High School <br />offers ESL classes, but due to funding shortages the classes <br />last only a few months of the year. The formal classroom <br />structure of these ESL classes does not allow for the kind of <br />individualized instruction which is possible in a tutoring <br />program such as the one we propose to offer. Nor can formal <br />classes accommodate the various schedules many of our students <br />require. The Adult Eduoation Coordinator at the High School has <br />been very supportive of our plans. He has written us a letter <br />of support which can be found in Appendix B of the narrative. <br />