English Language Learners

Program Overview

Classes are offered twice a week to residents of Coler Hospital who want to learn English or improve their ability to speak, read, and write in English. Instructors use the Ventures Basic Literacy program, and books are provided free of charge to each student. Classes are held in the hospital library and students are encouraged to actively participate in class and complete homework assignments. There are three semesters each year: a 12-week fall and spring semester, as well as a short six-week summer session.

Cost Info

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

Manuel Bermejo is an older man with quadriplegia living at Coler Hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York City. One of the inaugural participants in Angelica's ELL pilot program, Bermejo demonstrated that it was not too late to learn a new language.

"I thought it was over for me. But I found out that I'm still able to do other things like learning English." At first, he was skeptical that the program would work for him, because he has very limited use of his arms and hands, but Angelica's ELL instructor and assistants were very understanding and accommodating, and helped him complete the writing portions of the sessions. He cited the additional benefit of the classes taking place on-site made it further accessible to residents with limited mobility. Reducing the need for travel, residents did not face the obstacles to participation had the classes been provided elsewhere.

Juan Castillo, another participant of the ELL program, has experienced a better quality of life among his peers, saying , "learning English has always been a dream of mine, and Angelica is helping me make it come true. I feel that I'm part of a bigger community now." Already, this program has helped bridge communication gaps at Coler.