The Mixed Group

 We are students of a Bright Ideas class. Some of us are from Romanian, others are from Bosnia and Macedonian. Our teacher is from Ukraine. He is very nice, smart, and patient with us. He explains slowly and clearly and helps us learn many things.

“We like our class very much. We smile, laugh, share and have conversations all the time. We talk, talk and talk and have fun talking. We had a good time on the vegetable farm for our field trip, and we are so glad to talk to students from other Bright Ideas classes in Chicago”.

“We have improved our English. We are very proud because we can do many things to help ourselves and even other people. For example: we can do our shopping, tell other seniors about sales on food, visit them when they are not feeling well, share our remedies for illnesses. The magic is: we can do this in English. We are still improving our English and we will do even better. Thanks to the Bright Ideas Programs for brightening our aging years. Bright Ideas make us feel we are bright, and it’s a wonderful feeling”.

Click on the students below to read something
about them written in their own words.

Andrew Bogdan	Brativoj Spasoski	Hortenzia Mitrofan
Lucia Papamanoles		Munib Aksamija

Not the least of their problems is learning English.

As part of of the Bright Ideas English Literacy-Civics program, we ask our students to talk about their lives before and after they came to America. We ask them to work together and with other classes to explore their neighborhoods and become familiar with how our society works. We emphasize oral communication, but the student also produce pictures and writings that describe what they are thinking

	Andrew BogdanIn America I found another hobby. I am learning how to play piano. I think music makes people better. But I have to learn English to. If I can speak well English, I will make a lot of friends, and tell them about music.
	Munib AksamijaThere is no other country in the world like America. Sometimes I miss my old country, but in America many people from different culture live as one big family.
	Brativoj SpasoskiIt is a Christmas Time and I have to send many cards to my friends. I speak a little English, but it helps me a lot when I bay stamps at the post office.
	Hortenzia MitrofanI do like plants and flowers. In my old country I remember my grandparents village. There were a lot of gardens and flowers. Here in America I take care of plants in our Senior Complex. This brings memories about Romania.
	Lucia PapamanolesI like to read books a lot. In place where I live, there are not to many books in my language. I have to learn how to read in English.

Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly (CLESE)
53 West Jackson, Suite 1340
Chicago, IL 60604
312-461-0812  /  312-461-1466 (fax)
translations@clese.org