ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, June 7, 1996 TAG: 9606070063
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO DON
SOURCE: CHRISTOPHER L. BOYD STAFF WRITER
FOR TWO HOURS each week, 11 of National Linen Service's political refugees meet to practice saying "bananas" instead of "banana."
``I don't want to hear graps,'' said Loraine Fleck, "I want to hear grapes."
As teacher in an English as a Second Language program for Vietnamese refugees, she emphasized the proper pronunciation for fruit: apples, bananas, and pineapple - and how to ask for each.
"Let's look at these and say them all together," Fleck said in one of this week's classes. She explained there are several sounds in the English language that aren't present in Vietnamese, particularly words with plural endings. "I like banana," said one student. "No, it's `I like bananas,''' said another.
But these are not workers normally concerned with produce in their jobs. They all work for National Linen Service's Roanoke laundry.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, 11 of the company's employees who came to Roanoke as political refugees, meet in the plant's conference room for classes in English.
These students range in age from 21 to 56. They've worked the second shift for National Linen for between eight months and five years, either sorting, washing, ironing, or packing towels and sheets for hospitals, restaurants, hotels and many other area institutions.
They were sent to the company by Refugee and Immigration Services, whose mission is to resettle political refugees in Western Virginia. The service helps find housing, provide language tutors, employment, health care and other aspects of life in the United States.
Marvin Orange, the linen service's operations manager, called the language program a win-win situation for the company and the employees. Orange said he works closely with the the Refugee and Immigration Services to provide opportunities for refugees. Most of the time those he hires don't speak English.
When the employees start it is very hard to train them. "It was like working with a deaf person before [the class was offered] because you had to physically show them what to do," said Orange. Now they can learn a lot faster how to communicate on and off the job.
Fleck has been teaching the class since February after a former teacher moved from the area.
She said the students in the class show a lot of energy and motivation, attending regularly despite the small muggy room where the air conditioner is so loud it must be turned off so the students can hear. She insists on, and gets, active participation from everyone. "They aren't going to learn English if they are just listening to it. They need to practice it as well."
Cuoc Chau is one of the older members of the class. "I came to the United States about five years ago. I must work hard and I can't go to school," he said.
Fleck called Chau the most respected member of the group. The younger class members look to him for guidance and wisdom.
Fleck also teaches the group proper work attire and manners. She said the only thing that is difficult to teach is feelings. "It is much more difficult to pick up a picture and talk about [being] confused, vs. talking about a piece of fruit."
Phvong Hung Vo, one of the most fluent English speakers in the class, said he has learned a lot from the class. He now knows how the company functions and how to do his job better and he knows how to respond when certain situations arise.
"The teacher has taught us how to introduce ourselves to others. When we can't come to work we are taught how to call in and say we are sick," said Vo. Fleck added that she also taught what are reasonable circumstances for calling in sick.
The two hours they spend in class each week are for some the only chance they have to practice their English. "Most of them live in such isolated areas that outside the job they don't need to speak English," she said.
The class begins at 3 p.m. and the work shift at National Linen begins at 3:30 p.m. each day, meaning the company pays them for half the time they spend learning English. The workers earn slightly more than the federal minimum wage.
Alice Duell, education coordinator for the Refugee and Immigration Services, instituted the language program at several Western Virginia companies, including Maid Bess Corp. in Salem.
She said the classes began as a way to provide a curriculum that is specific to the language needed for their jobs. Now, however, the program has gone beyond concentration on job-related skills. Teachers strive to teach skills that will help them be better communicators outside the work environment.
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