Civics lessons impart practical, everyday information, including understanding the United States system of government, its court systems, and requirements for applying for citizenship.  Learning is reinforced through guided relevant discussions and activities such as cultural differences and holiday celebrations. 

Information about North Carolina’s regional attractions and historical sites helps students plan trips and facilitates an ongoing dialogue about our State’s history and culture.  Maps, bus schedules, and ferry fares are also addressed so that students become familiar with our transportation system. 

Courses on United States history up to 1865 allow students to relate to topics such as immigration, slavery, and civil rights, and provide opportunities for discussion about individual experiences and native countries.

Flash cards are used during each class to afford students a better understanding of the process of citizenship while learning citizenship facts and practicing their English. 

For students who declare the goal of citizenship or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for college enrollment or career advancement, ancillary instruction in TOEFL and US Citizenship are offered as separate classes. 

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In Pursuit of a Better Life

Hector Cortes began taking ESL classes at Gaston Literacy Council in 2003 with a minimal grasp of conversational English. Thirsting for knowledge and understanding, he embraced the language and culture and now his test scores categorize him as an advanced level student. “Classes have increased my possibilities to earn more money and have a better job,” Hector stated. “I have better communication. My conversational skills are growing. Everyday, my co-workers and clients tell me my English is better.”

Equipped with an enormous English vocabulary, he is now determined to increase his speed and flow of the language. “My aspiration is to have my own company here,” he states with enthusiasm. “First, my goals are to continue my education and go to college.”

Hector has a diploma from Columbia, his native country, and attended college there, and he would like to earn the same credentials in the United States. The first step is to acquire a GED. Although the GED is offered in Spanish, Hector feels that taking the English version will better prepare him for college courses. Hector mused, “Why not do it? All my life, I want to be learning new things.”

Hector’s advanced placement qualified him for additional classes in our pre-GED program. According to him, history is one the areas that is least familiar to Hispanics but yet the most important. He states, “This is necessary information people need to know to pass the oral interview for citizenship. It is so important to know the constitution, presidents, customs, laws, and policies of this country.”

In response to the classes, he stated, “It is important to see how the immigrants have been coming to this country and how they discovered new opportunities for their life. I think it was perhaps more difficult in early history for immigrants. They had to create many of their own opportunities. For me, there are already many.”

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Through a partnership with Gaston Together and the Gaston Community Healthcare Commission, Gaston Literacy supplements its conversational English classes with a health literacy curriculum.  The program uses the guidebook Health at Home^®, developed by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, and The Oxford Picture Dictionary, published by the Oxford University Press.  Health at Home^® covers wise medical consumerism, common health problems, major medical conditions, and emergencies. 

The curriculum is designed to offer preventative advice and to help students know when it is best to self-treat, go to the doctor, or seek emergency help.  Lesson plans include understanding the importance of a primary care physician, winter safety, understanding the pharmacy, taking prescription medications, insurance, and medical tests and exams.  This project is on-going and the guidebook for making medical decisions is also available to beginning ESL students in Spanish. 

In response to a recent survey regarding the Health Literacy curriculum, 88% of those surveyed said they have learned to read labels on medicines, 83% said they feel more comfortable talking to their doctor, 92% said they have learned about common health problems, symptoms, and treatments, and all said they have learned new things about their bodies and health.

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