Adapting to a new country comes with plenty of challenges. One is learning English.
According to the Census, from 2018-2022, more than three-quarters of Americans older than 5 only spoke English at home, and more than 20% of New York State was comprised of foreign-born people.
Ithaca-based Open Doors English says it's ready and willing to teach anyone that wants to learn the language. Entry-level students started with very few skills, but officials say they’re already making progress. The program has come a long way since opening.
“We believed so much that our students needed a place to come where anybody could come to learn English, that to launch the program, half of our staff volunteered to work that first year for free. We're now all on the payroll,” said Liz Susmann, the co-director of Open Doors English.
The nonprofit teaches English classes to Ithaca-area adults. In the last year and a half, enrollment has doubled.
“Our student body reflects what's happening in the world. We have a lot of students right now from Afghanistan, Ukraine and then throughout Central and South America,” said Susmann.
Their students come from 39 different countries.
“Before I came to here, I think I can speak, but when I arrived, I discovered that the English that I learned was not sufficient to speak to interact with the people,” said student Inacio Araujo.
Currently Open Doors English serves almost 300 students. Last year, Araujo moved from Brazil, and is studying at Cornell.
“And for simple things, for example, to go to a grocery store or take a bus, sometimes I cannot understand enough that the people speak to me, and I'm trying to express my ideas, but I cannot,” said Araujo.
“Even the most basic things can be overwhelming for somebody who is new here or who doesn't have the language they need to be able to operate in the community,” said Hilary Boyer, a co-director of Open Doors English.
Not knowing English can impact many parts of daily life, including how U.S. currency works.
“Understanding American change, like the names of all the coins and how much they were worth. And at the end of the lesson, she came up to me, she said thank you. Now, when I take the bus, I can count the correct amount. Before, I would get on the bus and just put coins until the bus driver said 'sit down,' ” said Susmann. “Just the other day, I was speaking to an advanced student who said that she feels so happy to be coming here because she's learning real English for real life with real people. And that's the goal in all of our classes held by all of our teachers.”
The program is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, and officials hope to expand their class offerings so that they can open doors to even more students. Open Doors English also connects students to resources to find jobs, health insurance and housing.