天美麻豆

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Inside a classroom at the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park on a recent Monday morning, teacher Julian Col贸n was busy setting out notebooks, folders, pens and crayons on a table. Outside in the hallway, a sign taped to a wall reads 鈥淐LASES DE INGL脡S POR ESTE CAMINO鈥� 鈥斅�English classes this way.

It was the first day of the spring semester in this predominantly Latino corner of the Brooklyn neighborhood, where Col贸n was expecting about 30 students in class.

But not everyone who wanted a seat at the table was there. More than 400 students are now on the center鈥檚 waitlist, according to Maria Ferreira, its adult employment program director.

鈥淚 sit right by the reception, and every single day we get inquiries about ESOL,鈥� Ferreira told THE CITY, using the acronym for English for Speakers of Other Languages. 鈥淓very day we鈥檙e adding people to the waiting list.鈥�

Demand for English classes has increased with the influx of migrants that began in 2022, according to a , which represents 46 settlement houses that help serve immigrant populations, even as City Hall has slashed funding.

At Flatbush-based social services giant CAMBA, program manager Jude Pierre said more than 700 prospective students are now waiting to get into one of its 10 city-funded ESL classes, which collectively accommodate about 200 students.

鈥淲ith the migrant crisis鈥�we ended up getting a lot of individuals coming here to register for classes to the point where we basically had to stop taking registrations,鈥� Pierre told THE CITY. 鈥淲e got to the point where it didn鈥檛 make any more sense to have thousands of people on a waiting list, knowing we would never get to most of them. We started saying, 鈥楽orry, we can鈥檛 do this, because it鈥檚 not fair to you,鈥� and trying to refer them to other places.鈥�

Last year, the Department of Youth and Community Development reduced funding for literacy classes by nearly 30% to $11.9 million from $16.8 million, the report noted. Many long-time providers in areas where migrant shelters were clustered also lost out on DYCD dollars after the agency adjusted its funding eligibility formula,鈥� as .

According to the report, many classes now depend entirely on discretionary dollars from the City Council, which increased its funding to $16.5 million in fiscal year 2025 from roughly $6.5 million in recent years to back organizations DYCD left behind.

Several providers, however, told THE CITY that compared to DYCD鈥檚 multi-year contracts, Council funding, which requires annual reconsideration, makes it difficult to plan ahead and maximize offerings.

And for some, like CAMBA, Council funding was not enough to cover the losses from DYCD with the group reducing the number of students it serves by 174 and closing its waitlist, Pierre said.

So far, providers say, demand among new arrivals has remained steady even as the Trump administration鈥檚 mass deportation efforts have led many new arrivals or or even walking the streets.

鈥淚deally, these programs would be supported by a robust, baselined program managed by DYCD that offered students and providers stability with year-over-year funding,鈥� the report says. 鈥淗owever, until DYCD revisits its unnecessarily restrictive stance鈥�it is crucial that the City Council continue this support to make sure that adult learners continue to have access to quality classes.鈥�

鈥業 Understand People Now鈥�

While fewer than 3% of the 1.7 million immigrants in need of English classes are able to access it through city-funded programs, according to the report, students who were able to find their way into a class told THE CITY improved English has helped with their daily lives 鈥� and their job prospects.

Currently, two-thirds of New Yorkers with limited English proficiency earn less than $25,000 a year, according to American Community Survey data cited in the report.

Rosanie Andre, 42, came to New York City from Haiti in 2023, and said she started taking English classes at CAMBA last year after three months on a waitlist. Since then, she鈥檚 been able to get a job serving food at Speedway while also delivering packages for Amazon per diem.

鈥淲hen I did my interviews, you have to speak in English with the manager. And it helped me a lot because I understand people now,鈥� Andre, a native Haitian Creole and French speaker, said in English.

Learning English has also helped Andre communicate with her 6-year-old 鈥� who only started speaking after their move to New York City.

鈥淎nd she started to speak English 鈥� English only. She knows nothing in Creole,鈥� Andre said. 鈥淚 try to listen to my daughter and speak to her English-only.鈥�

With her English improving, Andre said she is better able to help her daughter with her homework.

鈥淚 try to explain her how to do it in English,鈥� Andre said. 鈥淚f no CAMBA, I have difficulty to understand. Cuz when I come here, I don鈥檛 understand nothing. When people speak, I smile because I understand nothing.鈥�

Roodleir Victor, 29, saw English classes as an essential stepping stone in furthering his education. He had completed his college coursework for an economics degree in his native Haiti, he said, though he ultimately fell just short of obtaining a degree because it would have required him to stay in the country鈥檚 capital, which has been

He started taking English classes when he moved to the city in 2023, he said, in hopes of continuing his studies here. For four days a week, he attended English classes in Flatbush from 1 to 4 p.m. before heading to Long Island to work at a pasta factory on a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight shift.

Victor is now enrolled in a GED class, he said, and hopes to study computer programming after that.

鈥淚 would like to study at a university which I can learn technology. But it鈥檚 difficult for me, because I don鈥檛 have the support I need to go there,鈥� Victor said in English. 鈥淏ut for me personally, I believe in my capacity to adapt.鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 Not Impossible鈥�

Back in Sunset Park, a 55 year-old asylum seeker was patiently waiting to enter the room half an hour before class started at 9 a.m.

鈥淚鈥檓 just eager to learn,鈥� the native of Ecuador聽 said in Spanish. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important because I want to communicate with others for a job.鈥�

The mother of five arrived in New York City three months ago, she said, after seeking asylum at the Mexico-California border then being detained there for three months. She鈥檚 cleaning homes to help make ends meet, but hopes to land a job with steadier income soon.

鈥淲hatever I can get I pick up, but those jobs come and go,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was in a workforce development program but the curriculum was in English so I started looking for classes.鈥�

Oscar Lima rolled into English class with his e-scooter just after class started at 9:30 a.m. The 34-year-old is now in his second semester of classes, he said, which he makes time for in between catering gigs, food deliveries and a third job as a barback.

鈥淢y bosses told me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e a good worker, but you need to learn English,鈥欌�� Lima said. 鈥淎nd I decided that I didn鈥檛 want to learn English myself.鈥�

Lima and other students now settled into their seats, turning their attention to Col贸n.

鈥淓verybody, are we ready? Listos?鈥� Col贸n asked.

鈥淵es,鈥� the class responded timidly.

Col贸n then began presenting ground rules on a digital whiteboard: Try to arrive within the five-minute grace period after the class start time, and come prepared with books, papers and pencils.

鈥淭he most important rule,鈥� Col贸n continued, before repeating himself in Spanish. 鈥淧lease don鈥檛 be afraid to participate and make mistakes.鈥�

At break time, Lima shared how he, his wife and his two sons had arrived in the city from Colombia about three years ago. While the family had started off at a shelter, Lima said, they鈥檙e now able to afford an apartment of their own. His two kids 鈥斅爏even and ten years old 鈥� quiz him about names of objects around the house, he said, and often encourages him to learn English alongside with them.

鈥淣ew York, it poses many challenges. It鈥檚 difficult at the beginning, but it鈥檚 not impossible,鈥� Lima said in Spanish. 鈥淢y American Dream is my sons鈥�I want my children to perhaps have what I didn鈥檛 have, but at the same time I want to show them how to earn it, and how to work like good people.鈥�

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