New York police teach immigrants English: the city launched a new program to help visitors
'05.04.2023'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
A new free program helps New York immigrants improve their English. Police officers who have undergone special training teach visitors to speak English, says Spectrum News.
Alexander Rodriguez-Areres, a student at Lehman College, is participating in this program. He moved to the US from the Dominican Republic two years ago. One of the biggest problems for him was learning English. So on April 4, he attended his first English as a Second Language class organized by the NYPD's Community Services Bureau.
“I still get nervous when I speak English,” Rodriguez-Areres admitted.
After completing classes, Rodriguez-Areres wants to hone his skills and take it to the next level.
In the classroom, the police speak Spanish and help students learn English. NYPD officers are specially trained and certified to teach English as a second language. The NYPD's goal is to eventually expand this practice to all five boroughs in the city.
OUR Second Location for English as a Second Language Kuckked Off with @NYPD33Pct , Our Community Outreach Team, and @Palnewyork ! If you're interested please email Cadet Vega : [email protected] pic.twitter.com/oc8grqOCun
- Nypd Community Affairs (@nypdcommaffiras) April 4, 2023
“This is a new, innovative way for our multi-talented and experienced police officers to better communicate with the Hispanic community,” said Alden Foster, executive director of the NYPD's Community Outreach Bureau.
On the subject: How to Learn English Effectively: Advice from a Hyperpolyglot Who Speaks 50 Languages
Sargent Jesus Santos is one of the tutors. He says he wanted something like this available to his family when they moved to the US and were looking for ways to improve their English.
“My parents in a sense learned English from me. So this is an amazing opportunity for me to help my community,” Santos said.
The program has only been in existence for three months. It is free, and any resident of the city can take part in it. Since it started, its popularity has grown tremendously.
“When we first started, I had four people in my class. And in two to three weeks, we got up to 70 people,” said Mark Stewart, deputy commissioner of the NYPD Bureau of Community Affairs.
Classes are held at the Armory in Washington Heights and the 46th Precinct building in the Bronx every Tuesday from 18:00 pm to 20:00 pm. For more information, send an email to [email protected].
