Out & About in NYC
Written by John Zavos
Out & About in NYC: Ellis Island ESOL
This image is taken in a Settlement House in 1905. Settlement Houses, set up by local people, sought to provide services such as childcare, primary healthcare, and English classes in urban areas of high migrant settlement.
This image shows an English class at a Chicago based employer in 1919. Some employers provided English classes to help workers settle and to help them communicate at work.
Multiagency spaces in localities which integrate language learning alongside other services, catering to diverse needs and aspirations. Employer-based language learning to facilitate integration and professional development. Hang on, could we learn something here….?
Another image showing an ESOL classroom from the period – this time not so male-heavy!
An interpreter working at Ellis Island, Fiorello LaGuardia. He interpreted for speakers of Italian, German, Yiddish and Croatian. He went on to become Mayor of New York. The other images on this page are taken by me, but this one is courtesy of the fantastic educational resources provided by the Ellis Island Foundation.
