Need for tutors crucial Eduardo Carbajal is taking a Level 3 English class at the Literacy Council, while waiting to be matched with a tutor (photo by H. Marc Larson). 128 students on Literacy Council waiting list for tutors By Monique Balas News-Chronicle Eduardo Carbajal of Jalisco, Mexico, has been waiting about a year and a half for a tutor who can teach him English. In the meantime, Carbajal practices his skills in a twice-weekly conversational English class offered by the Literacy Council of Brown County while maintaining 12-hour work days bailing hay at a local dairy farm. "I want a tutor because my work doesn't give me a lot of free time to come to class," he said. Carbajal is one of 128 non-native English speakers on a waiting list at the Literacy Council. He, like many students on the waiting list, have attended Level 1 and 2 classes and attend the Level 3 transitional conversation class until a tutor becomes available. They could be waiting a long time. A dire need for tutors keeps most students waiting six to eight months, said Kathy Cornell, a Literacy Council program coordinator who matches tutors to students. "It's a constant need for volunteers," Cornell said. A September training session had to be canceled because of a lack of participants, so she is hoping the council's upcoming October session will fare better. Most tutors only work with one student at a time, she said, so once a match is made, tutors are still needed. It's sometimes difficult to match students and tutors because of preferences - some tutors prefer to work only with females, for example, and students often have difficult job and family schedules to work around. "Sometimes people have a misconception that they need to be bilingual or need to have been a teacher," Cornell said. "We prepare you with the skills you will need." Atsuko Gerou, a hostess at Seigo's Japanese Steakhouse, is one of the lucky ones: She only had to wait three months because her preferences matched those of her tutor, Pam Powless. "Because I came from Japan, I cannot speak very well," said Gerou. She takes English as a second language group classes at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College but said the one-on-one interaction helps her learn faster. NWTC offers free group ESL classes but does not offer one-on-one tutoring. "I think it's very important because ESL classes have 10, 15 people, but with one, I can quickly ask questions," Gerou said. "This is more conversation. I think I'm really lucky." She is working with Powless to improve her pronunciation and English skills so she can be better qualified to get a job in health care administration, which she did in Japan. Dario Muro of Mexico said he probably wouldn't be able to pass his General Educational Development test if it weren't for his tutor, Mary Bollom. The two have been working together for a year, going over the topics Muro has had to master in order to earn his high school diploma equivalent. "A tutor can help you learn a lot," he said. "Sometimes if I don't know what something means, I don't have to wait - I ask her right away what it means." Bollom said she tutors because she values the ability to help others. "Reading and education are very high priorities in my own life, my own family," she said, "and if I can give some of that to other people, to help their education process, then I'm willing to do that." Volunteers must: - Be at least 18 years old - Be able to read, write and speak English - Have patience and time FYI: An orientation for volunteer English as a second language tutors will be at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Literacy Council of Brown County, 424 S. Monroe Ave. Four training sessions will be 6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 6 and Oct. 8, and 6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 13 and Oct. 15. All classes and tutoring at the council are free and open to anyone.