“Hello?” he said. “Hello, Mr. Wah Say. This is your English teacher, Rachelle. How are you?”
and can now speak his address, call his workplace,
team up against their teachers, a dissension that
and read sentences.
feels like real family fun to Gartin. This summer, she and her husband are inviting the Wahs to their home
“He says he’s too old to learn, but he’s the one I’m
for dinner. In the meantime, the sons have added
most proud of,” says Brown.
Gartin and Brown as Facebook friends.
tions in Karen. He continued, “How are you?”
Plaw and Gracy are getting good grades in school,
But the most telling moment occurred in early April
“Fine, thank you. I’m calling to remind you that
and Richard, who works with his father at a chicken
when Ler Paw and Po Ray followed their teachers out
we’re coming to visit you today. OK?”
processing plant, is making solid progress. But
to the parking lot after the week’s class was over.
“Good,” he said and nothing more. His oldest son, Po Ray, leaned over to offer further instruc-
“OK.”
it’s Ler Paw and Po Ray, who also have been taking English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, who
“My mother wants to know if you have your car
“All right then. We’ll see you soon. Bye.”
are excelling. Po Ray has been promoted from the
keys,” Po Ray said in perfect English. Just like their
“Bye.”
stockroom to the kitchen at his restaurant job, and
own mothers, Ler Paw was checking to make sure
he’s now training to be a cook because he can read
they hadn’t locked the keys in the car like they did
“So,” Brown continued, looking around the circle,
recipes. His mother has completed the sixth and
last time, which had required a call to AAA.
“who hung up when I called earlier today?”
final level of ESL coursework and is ready to take the GED exam.
Plaw reluctantly raised his hand. “I did,” he said, more giggles all around. “Sorry.”
“Yes, I have them! Thank you!” Brown said, getting into the car.
The biggest sign of progress, though, is the familylike relationship the students are sharing with their
Gartin started to tear up from the sophistication of
After circle, they broke into groups. Brown worked
fellow “foreigners,” one they say will extend after
the communication—but mostly from the level of
with Mr. Wah Say and Gracy on learning individual
their Con Ed assignment ends.
caring. “We’ve come such a long way!” she said. “I
words and then how to read those words in full sen-
can’t say anymore or I’ll cry.”
tences and stories. Gartin led the mother and sons
“Their literacy has grown organically from our
in reading aloud from books and talking about what
friendship,” says Gartin. “We realized early on
Not only have these strangers helped each other
they learned. On alternate weeks, they spend their
that just studying together wasn’t working, so we
adjust to their new land, they’ve found the comfort
time playing Uno or Yahtzee instead.
became friends.”
of home again, too. n
The Wahs’ reading and speaking skills have im-
They celebrate together, sharing cupcakes and
proved tremendously since Brown and Gartin started
chocolate chip cookies when Ler Paw “graduated”
April Bogle is laughing her way through
working with them. Mr. Wah Say knew no English
from ESL. In games of Uno and Yahtzee, the Wahs
Anne Lamott’s Some Assembly Required.