In order to reap the benefits of a competitive community like Lancaster, individuals must possess smarts and strong work ethics. One must be afforded opportunities.

You also have to be able to communicate. You have to be able to speak and understand the mother language.

Administrator Wilma Bender and instructor Pam Hasse are part of Zeltenreich Church's valuable program that teaches English as a second language.

"The English language is a melting pot of languages, just like our country is a melting pot of cultures," said Hasse. "The English language is very embracing of new vocabulary words from different cultures. You have all these rules, and you have vast exceptions to these rules. Speaking the English language requires changing the brain's thinking."

"I go to local businesses to hand out flyers about the program," said Bender. "Once, a person came up to me and said, 'I'll stop you right there. We will not hire anyone who can't speak English.' Some factories will hire without English, but the workers are stuck; they can't advance. It's super important for making a living."

Located at 752 Hollander Road, New Holland, Zeltenreich Reformed Church is offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. every Tuesday.

The first night of the program is Sept. 15, which will serve as a time for student registration, placement tests and introductions. The teaching and learning will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and will last through Tuesday, May 11, 2027.

Students can join the classes at any point. There are no tests, graduations or certificates of completion, and homework is optional.

During the time of ESL instruction, Zeltenreich also offers free Bible-themed child care.

"The atmosphere in class is one of a comfortable, relaxed learning space," said Hasse. "The students are already familiar with the English language. This is an environment to practice the English language. It's meant to be enjoyable. It's a tool and a service to help."

Based on the students' familiarity with the language, Zeltenreich's ESL classes offer introductory instruction on sounds, letters and words to increasingly complex levels that cover communicating with others and discussing topics, ideas and opinions. The ESL classes employ the use of textbooks and visual aids, and an emphasis is placed on pronunciation and annunciation.

"The purpose of the placement tests is to put the students in the appropriate levels," said Hasse. "Then you build from there. We try to maintain a great deal of flexibility. We don't know who's going to show up and their English levels. We try to build the program with the capacity for going from intro to advanced.

"The primary focus is on speaking the language," added Hasse. "Reading is important, but there's Google Translate. There's not going to be as much call to write."

Anywhere between 11 and 25 students typically sign up for the ESL classes, which Zeltenreich began offering in February of 2024. Some work in the construction industry, some work for global companies with offices located in Lancaster, some have migrated to the area from other countries and others are here with refugee status.

"ESL is our primary community outreach," said Bender, a resident of New Holland. "Because we are called by God to go out into the world and preach the Gospel, this is a great opportunity. We are fulfilling a mission within the walls of our church. Lancaster County has always been a place where people have come from the nations."

Zeltenreich's ESL classes are taught by eight volunteer teachers and assistant teachers and supported by other members of the congregation.

"We have students who just want to live in America," said Hasse, a resident of East Earl Township. "These people have gone to great lengths to come here. We want them to feel welcome, and the best way to do that is through the English language. These people are competent and intelligent, but they have come to a different country."

For additional information, go to http://www.zeltenreich.org.