Corpus Christi Literacy Council offers skills and confidence for language learners

Six adult students gathered midday Wednesday at the Corpus Christi Literacy Council, taking notes as an instructor tossed out English vocabulary related to laundry.

With each English word, students chimed in with the meaning of that word, showing their understanding. Most of the students are native Spanish speakers, but one student spoke Japanese and another Italian.

Student Maria Rangel, who was in the class Wednesday, first started taking English classes a couple of years ago.

"I understand a little bit of English," Rangel said. "Now, in the second year, when we read the newspaper, I understand more and more and more."

The Corpus Christi Literacy Council provides adult basic education tutoring to help students improve reading and writing skills, English as a Second Language classes and a U.S. citizenship preparation course for legal permanent residents preparing for the citizenship test.

“A lot of people view or think of the literacy council as just reading, but we’re much more than that,” Executive Director Criselda Leal said. “...It’s that communication, it’s getting their voice heard. It’s being able to talk and express themselves and if they’re working, to get a better job.”

The goal of the Wednesday class is to give students the vocabulary they’d need for a certified nursing assistant job or to serve as a caregiver or companion.

The literacy council specifically serves members of the community who are 17 or older who are not currently enrolled in a school district.

The program serves an average of 300 students a year and has seen a growth in popularity this year. Currently, they’re serving about 360, about 100 more students than participated during the years impacted by the pandemic, program coordinator Nayibe Pena said.

The classes are free.

Dolores Villagomez heard about the organization from a friend who wanted to volunteer. Villagomez tagged along to learn about the program in December 2021.

“She just wanted me to accompany her there for a night I winded up enrolling in English classes and American citizenship classes also,” Villagomez said.

She took evening classes with the Corpus Christi Literacy Council and worked one-on-one with a tutor when she wasn’t working.

Villagomez has lived in Robstown and Corpus Christi for 12 years. Villagomez came to the Coastal Bend through the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, a Catholic missionary community. She is originally from Mexico.

“I did learn a little bit of English,” Villagomez said. “But it was just for surviving. With them (the Corpus Christi Literacy Council), I learned grammar and how to better my English.”

She became a U.S. citizen in April.

“It allowed me to take the first step of all these things that I knew I had to do but I had no idea how to start or where to start,” Villagomez said. “With them they helped me to be confident in myself, to be confident of what I am doing – to continue moving forward and not be afraid of what’s coming next.”

She’s also decided to pursue a GED certificate. The literacy council doesn’t host GED tests, but it does provide tutoring for students who have that goal and are participating in another program.

“This program is the one that gave me all the tools to take off,” Villagomez said.

Villagomez said she would encourage others in the community who want to improve their English to consider the literacy council. She’s already recommended the program to others in her life.

“Whoever I see that they need help with the English language, I encourage them to go there,” Villagomez said. “It’s the first step to continue to move forward.”

Emiko Shinoda moved to Corpus Christi from Japan eight years ago for her husband’s job. She’s taken reading and writing classes with the Corpus Christi Literacy Council and is enrolled in a conversation class.

“When I started learning, I didn’t know if people were speaking Spanish or English,” Shinoda said. “Now I know when they are speaking Spanish or English. Every day, I didn’t know what to say. Now, I can have a conversation.”

Shinoda said the literacy council is a good place.

“Our teacher taught us to speak English and about American culture and that is very useful for our life,” Shinoda. “It’s a good opportunity.”

Virginia Salinas said that the literacy council helped change her life. Salinas is originally from Cerralvo in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She eventually moved to Robstown, married and had four children.

When her children were growing up, Salinas didn’t speak English. She worked cleaning houses and began cleaning the office at Robstown Utilities 15 years ago. She tried taking classes at Del Mar College, but found they were too expensive.

A friend told her about the free classes at the Corpus Christi Literacy Council. She took classes on grammar, writing, reading and conversation, also working one-on-one with a tutor.

“Five years later, the supervisor of Robstown Utilities gave me the opportunity to work in the gas department in the warehouse where I now have my own office and I work with the gas supervisor,” Salinas said. “I help organize the books, buy the merchandise for the gas department and every day I learn something new.”

When they begin, each student takes an assessment and lists their goals.

“Their goals are anywhere from being able to communicate better with their children’s teachers, to getting a better job to survival,” Leal said.

In addition to classes and tutoring, the literacy council has hosted workshops and speaker series on finance and health. If a student stops attending, Pena follows up to find out why. For students who can’t fit a class into their schedule, one-on-one tutoring is offered.

The heart of the program is volunteerism, Leal said. Volunteers serve as teachers and one-on-one tutors.

“This population of people are optimistic, hardworking, resilient and they are so courageous,” instructor Terri Kimmel said. “It’s really a privilege to work with them.”

The literacy council has a classroom in the Ben F. McDonald Public Library, also serving students at the Antonio Garcia Arts & Education Center, La Palmera Mall, the Hopkins Public Library and the Instituto de Cultura Hispánica. The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority also partners to provide bus tokens to students.

Many volunteers also come through Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The literacy council is holding its annual fundraiser, a bowling tournament, on Sept. 9.

“The more support we get, the more things we can do throughout the city,” Leal said.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi Literacy Council sees more adult education students