Pedro Ordoñez didn’t know any English when he came to the United States from Guatemala.
“The process has been quite difficult,” he said. “In fact, my process is not over yet; it has just begun. But with perseverance and discipline, little by little, I know that I can achieve it.”
Living in Utah now, Ordoñez started learning English with EnglishConnect when he saw his wife using the program.
EnglishConnect — found at EnglishConnect.org — is a program provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help people around the world increase self-reliance and expand opportunities through learning English. The English language skills help individuals improve their access to education and employment opportunities.
EnglishConnect complements the Church’s self-reliance courses, which include “Starting and Growing My Business,” “Finding a Better Job,” “Education for Better Work” and “Personal Finances.”
The classes combine spiritual and academic learning to empower self-reliance, and learners are in an environment of fellowship and faith. Participants support one another as they apply spiritual and academic principles of learning.
“Being an immigrant makes some things difficult for us, like the language in many cases, but through EnglishConnect I have been able to see the opportunity to learn the language from the hand of Jesus Christ, and that has helped me a lot,” Ordoñez said.
The courses include face-to-face gatherings with local members and online resources for self-paced study. Often, full-time missionaries help as teachers.
For example, weekly classes are offered in the Poole England Stake — where full-time missionaries and members of the stake help teach asylum seekers and refugees.
And earlier this year the Church News reported on sign-ups being held for EnglishConnect classes at the Mexican Consulate in Orlando. Coordinating council EnglishConnect coordinators are teaching the classes.
The Church News also reported on a family in the Punaauia Tahiti Stake who were learning English together around their kitchen table through EnglishConnect.
Said Ordoñez: “To the people who want to study at EnglishConnect, I encourage you to take up the challenge so that you can improve your language skills and be prepared for everything.”
The Church’s Self-Reliance effort is based on the principle of individual responsibility in achieving social, emotional, spiritual, physical and economic well-being. Learn more at ChurchofJesusChrist.org/self-reliance.
