Literacy Programs

Learning Services

Broward County Library's Learning Services offers three core adult literacy programs, each designed to target the various needs of the community. Each One Teach One, English Café, and Crossroads Café are the main programs provided by Learning Services that teach adults to develop their English skills. Each One Teach One focuses on teaching reading skills to adults with little or no reading ability, while the two Café programs offer opportunities for intermediate learners to improve conversation, comprehension, and vocabulary. Adult illiteracy is a growing problem in the United States and worldwide, and free literacy programs sponsored by the library help address the problem in Broward County by offering adults a chance to learn to read or to improve their existing skills. According to ProLiteracy America, the world's oldest and largest literacy organization, there are 90 million people in the U.S. whose limited skills condemn them to low earnings and limited opportunities.

Each One Teach One

The Library offers “Each One Teach One,” a literacy program that uses the ProLiteracy America formerly the Laubach Way to Reading method for adults written by Dr. Frank Laubach. Adults and tutors meet at locations and times that fit into their individual schedules. The one-on-one interaction between tutor and student allows lessons to progress at the student's own pace.

This method teaches basic reading and writing through a series of four skill books and correlated readers for student use. A highly structured and systematic lesson plan consists of vocabulary development, phonic or structural analysis of words, a short story reading, comprehension checks, and writing practice. Lessons progress through the alphabet, sounds and regular spellings of basic consonants to vowels, and finally to irregular spellings and more difficult reading, writing, and grammar skills.

Broward County Library's Each One Teach One connects tutors and students in order to improve not only their literacy skills but also their lives. In the information age, literacy is vital in an increasingly competitive job market. A functional level of literacy not only increases employability but also ensures adults may further enjoy the library's services and the community.

English Café

The English Café program created by Broward County Library Learning Services meets the needs of adult speakers of other languages seeking to improve their conversational English skills. The program is designed for people who speak English at an intermediate level and have at least the equivalent of a high school diploma from their native country. Students can use their developing English skills to access library resources for information about improving other aspects of their lives, such as education and employment.

The conversation practice class offers students an opportunity to meet with volunteers and other students to focus on vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar in a casual classroom setting. The classes feature activities to enhance language skills, including discussions of newspaper articles, word games, role-playing, storytelling, and improvised conversation. English Café recently won a 2004 Achievement Award from The National Association of Counties (NACo).

Crossroads Café

Crossroads Café is a cooperative program created by several states including Florida to teach intermediate students of English through videos and printed materials. The program's half-hour videos feature a cast of ethnically diverse characters and blend comedy and drama with integrated text materials based on each episode. The multi-level language exercises encourage students to develop reading comprehension and language skills.

The videos progress through a storyline of an owner opening a restaurant, and the students watch the owner's difficulties with hiring a staff. International customers at the café introduce viewers to many different accents, while the people discuss their different cultures and racial differences. The Crossroads Café program focuses on teaching students pronunciation and expanding their vocabulary. The program is for intermediate speakers of English, and they learn by listening and watching the conversations in the video. There are also text materials and exercises that follow the video.

Please call Learning Services at 954-625-2820 to find an English class near you.