English as a Second Language
Philadelphia is home to thousands of immigrants from around the world. These immigrants, whether highly educated professionals, students or refugees, all bring fresh perspectives and skills to our region. Their new ideas and talents have in turn helped to revitalize our economy. According to a recent Brookings Institution study, in 2006, immigrants made up almost 9% of the population in Philadelphia. Nearly 75% of the growth in the region’s workforce can be attributed to immigrants. Many of these recent arrivals and their families need help in building their English language skills as well as gaining an understanding of American culture, history and government.
CFL has been at the forefront of providing free English as Second Language (ESL) instruction since 2001. Our ESL classes and tutoring program have helped immigrants gain the literacy and citizenship skills to navigate and flourish in their new homeland. These programs have helped hundreds of new immigrants become proficient in their new language which in turn has helped them to feel more at home in, and gain a better understanding of American society. The integration of American history, culture and government in our ESL curriculum also enables our students to gain a deeper understanding of citizenship and community in order to become full and responsible members of society while improving their English language skills.
Center for Literacy’s ESL classes serve communities in Northeast, South and West Philadelphia as well as Center City, areas of the city with the highest populations of immigrant residents. In addition to these classes in Philadelphia, we host ESL classes in Delaware County in Chester. There is also a well attended tutoring program at the Gallery in Center City. Reflecting all the different groups of immigrants in Philadelphia our classes are extremely multicultural (“mini United Nations” as described by one student), providing a unique opportunity to facilitate understanding and cooperation among the many cultures, faiths and backgrounds represented in them.
For more information on ESL classes please contact us via email or call 215.474.1235.