English Language Tutors Aid Employees
by Harrison Carter

UNC-CH junior Pablo Durana began the Carolina Language Partnership in fall 2003. The program connects student tutors with university employees across campus. Durana said the partnership is currently tutoring 70 employees.

Durana has been meeting with Chase Dining Hall employee Rolando Gamez since the program began. They have been working hard on Gamez's English skills.

“[We] practice reading, writing, everything," said Gamez.

Volunteers work with employees one-on-one for about an hour twice a week. Durana said the comfort of personal attention speeds up learning.

“Once they feel comfortable, then they're going to practice more and more,” said Durana. “And it's really just practice that’s going to make you learn the language a lot faster."

The large number of Spanish-speaking employees creates a need for this program. But it’s not just about learning English, it's about making connections between students and staff. Durana said tutors often find a new friend where others students might fail to look.

"Having this one-on-one interaction…a lot of [the tutors] have begun to establish great relationships," said Durana.

The program is growing, and leaders plan to add UNC Hospitals employees to the client pool, which would nearly double the program. Durana hopes that once the program is logistics are perfected at UNC-CH, it will expand to other campuses.

In the meantime, Gamez seems well on his way to learning a new language.

"I like reading, I practice a lot," said Gamez.

The program is also expanding beyond native Spanish speakers. Tutors have recently started working with Farsi-speaking employees from Iran. If you are interested in getting involved with the Carolina Language Partnership, contact Pablo Durana at pdurana@unc.edu.