


"One thing I like about the United States is freedom and democracy," said the man, helped along by instructor Dee Bent.

Once the man finished, Bent congratulated him and showed the beginners' English class how the man had been translating from Chinese characters to English.

"Good job!" said a few of his classmates and the rest clapped for the older man, who beamed.

Being an immigrant isn't easy. Learning a new language can be difficult, whatever your age, and the culture shock can be isolating and hard to adjust to.

Although the vast majority of Maynard residents speak English, there is a significant percentage of those with less-than-perfect English skills. The U.S. Census report from 2000, the most recent data available, reports 1,102 out of Maynard's 9,715 residents age 5 or older speak a language other than English.

About 29 percent, or 322 people, say they speak English less than "very well."

Armed with a mixture of state, federal and private resources, Maynard is helping new immigrants' lives get a little easier as they acclimate to the United States.

UEmergency services

The Maynard Police and Fire departments, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Statewide Emergency Telecommunications Board, have contracted with Qwest/NetworkOmni for interpretation services. The company provides what it calls over-the-phone interpretation - a translation service emergency dispatchers can use if a call comes in from someone who isn't speaking English.


According to Police Chief James Corcoran, the software is free and relatively simple to use.

"We hit a transfer key and talk to a live operator. We go from there," he said.




"We do the best with what we have," he said, noting most language problems tend to work themselves out.


"(Our) procedure is to try to find someone who can help you out. Ninety-nine percent of the time, someone (at the scene) can understand some English," said Fire Chief Stephen Kulik in an interview.

Kulik said with medical issues, Maynard's firefighters are usually able to make do with gestures and hand-signals.

"We go with signs and symptoms and we can usually do a pretty accurate job there," he said.

The fire department currently doesn't have any firefighters who speak a language other than English.

"I certainly do look at that when I review candidates," said Kulik. "It's always an incredible plus."

UMaynard schools


Many of her students are from what she calls "the big three": Puerto Rico, Haiti and Brazil.



This scenario is "one of my biggest struggles," said Meyer.

Meyer said the most successful ESL students are those who have been educated well in their first language through fourth grade. If by that point the child can read and write in their native toungue, it makes tackling English easier, she said.


The research says it takes about five to seven years for a student to become English-proficient, in general, said Meyer. But for a student who enters kindergarten without any previous ability in reading or writing, it can take longer - seven to 10 years, she said.

Students facing that delay may even have difficulty on the 10th grade English language arts MCAS, said Meyer.

Kids can get lost in the shuffle - sometimes they move and are lost in the system, said Meyer. Other times they bounce back and forth between the United States and their home country, further complicating learning.


"The students do get a lot of support," said Meyer.


UThe facts

According to data from the Massachusetts Department of Education from the 2006-2007 school year, 4.9 percent of students in Maynard do not speak English as a first language. A smaller number, 2.2 percent, are classified as "limited English proficient," which gives them access to English learning resources.

Jill Greene, director of student services for the school district, said in an interview the state provides guidelines for teaching students who are termed "limited English-proficient" or LEP.

"When students first come to the district or there's a question about their English proficiency, we'll do an assessment and determine if they fall into this LEP category," she said.

There are "guidelines in terms of what are the skills the students need to be working on as well as in terms of their listening, speaking, reading and writing (skills)," said Greene. As the students move through the system, they are tracked and evaluated.

"It's like sheltered English immersion. You learn your content as you're learning English. They get support with both," said Greene.

UAdult education




"We have a waiting list of about 200 names. Some names have been on (the list) for over two years," said Baldrate.

"We run a concurrent curriculum and most of the students will sign in at the beginner's level and they follow the program all the way through," said Baldrate.

"Throughout the program, you see change in the student, as their ability to communicate gets better. They're feeling better about themselves, about their place in the community," said Baldrate.


On a recent Wednesday morning, the advanced class, which usually meets in Town Hall, met instead at Coolidge School to use the building's computer labs.


For one of the exercises, the students would listen to a phrase in English accompanied by a picture, like "This animal walks and swims but never flies," accompanied by a picture of a polar bear. The students then had to type out the phrase correctly or click and drag the correct word from a list of possible answers and put the words in the right order.

"Make sure your subject agrees with your verb tense," Gerondeau advised one of her students.


Vo was in the beginners' class and spoke halting but clear English. She said since signing up for the classes two months ago, her English has improved.



The classes are "very helpful to me," said Alla. She said she now writes better and speaks better English than ever before.

(Meghan Kelly can be reached at 978-371-5758 or