Catholic Charities
Diocese of Paterson

“...providing help - creating hope…”

PTP English Classes are offered to the large multi-cultural, multi-lingual population of Passaic County. Classes are taught at 435 main Street in Paterson, New Jersey, in three ten-week sessions per school year, with basic and intermediate levels offered in both the morning and evening and an advanced class offered in the evening.

The program is designed to help participants overcome the challenges and fears they face everyday by living and interacting in society where English is the predominant language spoken. It helps strengthen families by improving parent's ability to communicate with their children in the language spoken at their children's school. As such, parents can support their children in school by better communicating with their children's teachers and caregivers while helping their children with homework assignments.

Participants frequently improve their on the job performance by increasing their ability to speak English. This has provided opportunities for students to receive promotions, increased pay and even change jobs with their new skills and increased confidence.

Students have also shared how it has helped when they take their child to the hospital or doctor and even in talking with pharmacists to understand the proper doses for medication.

Teachers utilize primarily TPR (Total Physical Response Method), an improvisation technique that uses "skits"/role playing to demonstrate life skills. Areas of focus include vocabulary, reading, grammar, listening, pronunciation, dialogue an, in the higher levels, writing. Students are encouraged to participate in cultural exchanges that help to educate other students as to their diversity as a group and their commonality.

The programs success is reflected in the high number of students participating, the high number of referrals and the waiting lists for the English classes. each year, the program serves about 500 people in the  community.

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Last modified: 02/13/09