Bustleton Library assists non-native English speakers

“Alright class, now which of these has food and which of these has actions?”

Kathy Fagan pointed to two words on the chalkboard in front of her: “ingredients” and “instructions”. For that day’s lesson, her small class of eight students discussed the concept of a recipe in their makeshift classroom in the basement of the Bustleton Library. In front of her was a table with an assortment of food-related items, ranging from olive oil to spices to dishes, objects to be used for a hands-on cooking demo at the end of class.

As a volunteer teacher working with The Center for Literacy, the nation’s largest nonprofit community-based literacy program, she has helped non-English speakers with their language barriers for about four years.

Read the rest of this story on our partner site, Philadelphia Neighborhoods.