September 13, 2023

Pasadena City College offers free English as a Second Language courses at its Community Education Center where immigrants from many countries improve their English skills so they can pursue academic, vocational and personal goals.

They come from Asian and Hispanic/Latino countries and many others. ESL students, most of whom are in their 40s and 50s, have volunteered at the Pasadena Senior Center since 2018, assisting with the monthly food distribution program, annual Pasadena Senior Games and occasional holiday celebrations. Some share the rotating responsibility of serving as lead volunteer coordinator.  

They experience new learning opportunities every time they come to the Pasadena Senior Center. According to Carolyn Corrie, faculty chair and assistant professor, the first student who volunteered in 2018 for the Thanksgiving celebration, which included a traditional meal, did not know the word “gravy” when an attendee asked for more. (This year’s Thanksgiving celebration – $15 for PSC members and $20 for nonmembers – is scheduled Thursday, Nov. 23, at noon featuring a traditional meal, festive decorations and live music.)

China-born Echo Guo served as the lead student volunteer coordinator from April 2022 to August 2023. “Volunteering has helped me feel more confident using English in real-life situations,” she says. “It has also been a good opportunity to learn more about seniors and American cultures, especially how to communicate with each other.”

The feeling is mutual. Older adults at the Pasadena Senior Center say they appreciate the assistance of the ESL volunteers, enjoy interacting with people from other countries and help them with English words and phrases (such as “gravy”).

For more information about PCC’s noncredit ESL courses, visit www.curriculum.pasadena.edu and click on Noncredit Division, then English as a Second Language.