Presence St. Mary's Hospital - English as a Second Language Program

What is it?

Presence St. Mary’s Hospital offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adults, which include lessons in health literacy. The classes meet on Monday and Wednesday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Lessons include basic conversation, translation, vocabulary building, listening, and writing skills. The health literacy component of the program includes lessons about safety hazards, common illnesses, medication use, visiting a doctor, and other personal health issues. Presence St. Mary’s Hospital provides rooms for these classes.

Who is it for?

Kankakee County’s growing Hispanic population, especially those with very limited English-language skills.

Why do they do it?

The total number of Spanish speakers residing in Kankakee County has grown significantly. Statistics indicate that at least one-third to one-half of these individuals speak English less than “very well.” Learning English helps students communicate better within their community. The health literacy component helps students communicate better with their doctors, which leads to better health care for the students and their families.

Impact

Students report being better able to do practical, everyday things as a result of the classes, such as communicating better on their jobs, understanding how to read and pay their bills, communicating better with doctors, and helping their children with homework. Other students have found ESL classes helpful in preparing for their citizenship tests. Students often say that they feel more at home in the United States as a result of taking English classes.

Contact: Melissa Tanner
Director, Marketing and Public Relations
Telephone: 815-937-2339
E-mail: melissa.tanner@PresenceHealth.org