Success Stories

2006 Success Story Contest Winner!

Inglés Sin Barreras at Brady ISD in Brady, Texas
by María Laureles, Parent Liaison

This was our first experience with the Inglés Sin Barreras course.  The response to it was great!  We’re a small town, with a school population of about 1300 students, about 40% Hispanic. 

Every parent in our class had heard about this course, so, they were ready and excited to finally be experiencing it.  They were always looking forward to the next class.  We had a graduating class of thirty-five adults. 

We had many encouraging results.  The number of parents on our “only Spanish” list has decreased; they find that they are up to the challenge of reading school material in English to further expand their vocabulary and develop fluency in speaking English. 

From this class, one young lady who’d been out of high school for two years went on to enter a technical college.  She became motivated and gained a greater confidence in speaking English and knows that she can aspire to a higher education to prepare her for success in life. 

Many of these parents are attending parent/teacher conferences, without requesting a translator, and putting their English to use. 

Some of the parents have expressed that their school-age children feel more comfortable in asking them for help with their homework. 
    
We have parents now seeking to study and test for their GED diploma. 

One of the nicest comments we got was from a mother who wrote, “never would   I have thought that I would be taking English lessons, much less speaking English”.

It was such an emotional and encouraging time to see parents who did not speak English, or very little at most, join in singing “America The Beautiful”  for the first time in their lives with the video. 
 
Many of our students from the first class will be returning for a second time to hone the language skills attained.  We will be having, again, parents from neighboring towns some 30+ miles away attending our classes this second time around. 

This year we’re, also, going to present the Computación Sin Barreras course. 
We have been getting calls for both classes since this summer.  Thank you Lexicon for allowing us the opportunity to help our citizenry with top-of-the-line programs such as these, and for opening the door to greater opportunities for us all. 

Other Great Entries!

Amy Lee, Access Electronic Services Coordinator
Fort Vancouver Regional Library District in Vancouver, Washington

One of the best decisions our library made with the Serving Cultural Diversity Grant in 2003 was to invest in four sets of Ingles sin Barreras (I.S.B.).  In the past three years, the sets have circulated more than 700 times!  We may never know the full impact of the sets on our library users, but judging from two examples I’ve heard personally, these resources are definitely making a positive influence on the lives of Spanish-speakers.  I was able to talk to the bus driver and ask the right questions, thanks to what I learned using Ingles sin Barreras, one participant at our English Conversation Circle told me.  Another library user said it had been hard for her to learn English by reading, but the videocassettes and CDs that come with Ingles sin Barreras removed some of the barriers.  What captivated her most were the songs taught in the set.  She loves singing and dancing, and the multi-media format of the set suited her learning style.  Hearing the songs in Spanish and English helped her to understand the lyrics and meaning.  She memorized the words of the songs in English, and would sing them whenever she was happy or sad.  Thanks to Ingles sin Barreras, she successfully increased her English vocabulary.  Whenever I have a chance to help Spanish-speaking users at the library, especially those who are looking for materials to improve their English, I would tell them that we own I.S.B.  Often, their faces light up, showing immediate interest and sometimes, pleasant surprise that we have the set.  Inevitably, I end up helping them to reserve at least a few volumes.  The staff often joke that we don’t have to worry about this series taking up too much space even though the entire set is huge in physical size.  We just can’t keep them on the shelf and there are always holds on them.  I.S.B. is so well known in the Latino community that whenever someone learns that we carry the set at the library, they recommend it to their families and friends.  Word of mouth is the best advertisement.  We take at least one representative volume from the set to all of our library outreach events that target Spanish-speakers.  The fact that we carry I.S.B. truly generates interest among Spanish-speakers in using the library.  The presence of I.S.B. makes them feel welcomed at the library.  Even though we carry other English learning materials, many prefer I.S.B.  We are thrilled that I.S.B. helps us to bridge the gap of reaching out to our Latino community.  Success doesn’t need to come in big packages; simple thank you’s, anecdotes and the popularity of the set let us know that the materials are being well used and are well liked by our users.  And that’s a buen resultado (happy success) for us at the library.

Margaret Janke, Branch Manager
Freeport Library in Freeport, Texas

The Freeport Library received a grant to purchase the Ingles sin Barreras, English without Barriers.  Because it was a grant, statistics and outcomes were monitored.  The twelve volumes were constantly checked-out with patrons placing holds on the volumes that they needed.  I knew they were being used, but I was curious as to the personal impact of this set.  Here are their stories.  

A Spanish-speaking mother and her bilingual teenage daughter were constantly coming into the Freeport Library for the mother to check out the Ingles Sin Barreras.  The mother would check out several volumes, use them for two weeks, and then return to check out different volumes.  One day I asked the daughter who was fluent in both languages if her mother was benefiting from them.  She said most definitely yes.  The daughter said she had a big problem with it.  A little dismayed I asked her what problem do you have?  The daughter answered as only a teenager can that she is so tired of listening to it in the car.  No longer is music playing in the car, only the Ingles sin Barreras. 

A sixteen-year-old high school boy with very limited English asked if he would be allowed to checkout the kits.  Because it contained a DVD and since he was a juvenile, he thought he would be unable to check it out.  When he was told yes, his face lit up, he was so pleased.  If this set has helped him in any way, the set will have served its purpose.  Another lady’s son told us she had heard about the set on Spanish radio and was delighted to get it free at the library.  Her son had a card, but she didn’t.  She now has her own card, and the library added another happy patron.  This set has been in demand, and the library is providing a valuable community resource.