Immigrants Put New English Skills to the Test

One by one, they stepped nervously to a microphone and waited for the word they would be asked to spell.

About 80 adult immigrants faced off Tuesday and Wednesday in a series of spelling bees at the San Fernando High School gymnasium.

For many of the language students, it was their first American-style competition and a welcome break from the daily juggle of low-income jobs, night school and family commitments.

The first word-- onions --was tested on a group of contestants with three months or less of classroom study.

“A--N--E--O--N--E--S,” said Eduardo Aleman, 23, from Mexico.

The ringing of a cowbell indicated he was wrong, and he returned to his seat disappointed.

“Too many people. All the people, yakety, yakety . . . I don’t know what happened,” he said.

Two more contestants failed to spell the word before Alejandra Benini, 20, a student from Argentina, succeeded.

“For me, (the bee) is very important because I go to college next month,” she said.

The immigrants--mostly Spanish speakers from Mexico, El Salvador and Ecuador--are studying English as a second language at the Kennedy-San Fernando Community Adult School, and they are at varying levels of skill.

“Most students are coming to school to learn English so they can look forward to a brighter future,” she said. “They study on weekends, on the bus, at work.

In its fourth year, the spelling bee is a chance for students to show off their new language skills to friends and relatives who come to watch.

Yet some still had trouble because they are accustomed to spelling words phonetically and are unfamiliar with spelling bees, said Carlyn Buckel, a teacher at the school.

“It shows a dedication to education through events like this,” Buckel said. The students love the competition and study hard. They’re proud of what they’re doing.”

By the end of one of the bees, only Gonzalo Campos was left standing. With the correct spelling of the word semester , he won a 12-inch, gold-plated trophy with an American flag wrapped around the bottom.

“I’m feeling so happy,” said the 20-year-old carpenter from Mexico. “I never won a trophy. This is the first time.”