Adult Hmong Literacy Project of LaCross, WI

Project Director: Neal Taylor M.D.
Associate Director: Mary L. Taylor

The Adult Hmong Literacy Project of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is a unique use of the Initial Teaching Alphabet with adult Hmongs to teach them to read, write, and speak English.  The project is intriguing not only because the English language is so foreign to their native tongue, but because they are also unable to read or write in their own language.

The Hmong people are war refugees who came to the United States from Thailand, to which they had fled from their own country of Laos to avoid the persecution by Vietnamese soldiers after America withdrew from the Vietnam war.  Because of circumstances beyond their control, the Hmong people were unable to attend school in Laos and thus the great majority of the adults cannot read or write in any language including their own.

When the Hmong came to America as war refugees, the children and teenagers were sent to regular schools where they received "English as a Second Language" training.  As the Hmong children and youth became fluent in English, a barrier between the children and their parents was created which sometimes resulted in family unrest.

The project directors became aware of the work of the I.T.A. Foundation through a grant given to Gundersen Foundation in LaCrosse to work with dyslexic children.  The use of ITA for ESL training of the Hmong population seemed to present unusual advantages over standard methods.  A grant from the I.T.A. Foundation allowed the adult Hmong literacy program to start during the 1990-91 school year.

Betty Thompson, Executive Director of the I.T.A. Foundation in New York, traveled to LaCrosse, WI, to do the initial training of the directors and the tutors.

Initially teaching was done in the homes of the students using Hmong tutors who were fluent in English.  Standard teaching materials supplied by the I.T.A. Foundation were used to teach the students.  Teaching Videos were made in the Hmong language to introduce the sound-symbols.  Similar Teaching Videos were also made for each book in the I.T.A. Early-to-Read series.  Almost all Hmong homes had a VCR so the video tapes could be used for practice by the students between tutor visits.

Other teaching materials included the ITA sound-symbol audio tape by Betty Thompson, ITA reading and workbooks, teachers manuals, EIKE-Language Master audio machines and Polaroid photographs to make individual teaching books for beginning students.

In 1996-1997, teaching in the homes was discontinued.  Permission from the Lacrosse School Board was obtained to utilize one of the elementary schools after school hours for the adult Hmong classes.  Many Hmong children were already attending this school, so the principal and staff were very supportive in this adult education effort.  Classes started one hour after the regular students had been dismissed.

That format is still being used.  Teaching is done by two Hmong university students and the Associate Project Director.  Presently two class rooms and part of the library area are used.  School computers are also utilized in the program.  We have two I Mac computers to use with the new I.T.A. Foundation teaching materials available in CD form.

The Hmongs have excellent eye-hand coordination and they have particularly enjoyed learning how to write.  The mothers have enjoyed being able to read to their children and grandchildren.  All have enjoyed the opportunity to practice their reading and speaking skills in a non-threatening environment.  Teaching has become more formal and more efficient since starting classes in the school.

Surprisingly, the adult students like tests and these are used frequently in the classrooms.  Likewise homework is also assigned.  Their new-found language skills are put to practical use with shopping fieldtrips.  Finding items by reading the labels, reading prices, counting change, and asking questions of sales clerks, are all activities that make literacy meaningful.  The students have also gone to the library and have obtained their own library cards.  Naturally the children's section is of most interest.  Reading road signs has become a part of the curriculum as well as learning how to read a bus schedule.  Both of these activities are important for the students.

In 1993 the average age of the students was 56.  Currently the average age of the students is 48.  It takes 3 to 4 school years to complete the ITA reading program materials.  Classes are held during the regular school year from September through May.  The most successful graduate to-date was able to enroll in a local technical college to work on her High School Diploma.

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