ORONO, Maine — Moving to a different country and learning a new language is something a lot of Mainers have probably never experienced. But, it can be expected of those who chose to move from other countries and make their home here.
The Town of Orono and the University of Maine's Intensive English Institute are offering free community English classes to help English language learners understand and speak English.
A total of 18 people from 12 countries are involved in the weekly classes at the Orono Public Library and UMaine.
UMaine's Director of International Programs, Orlina Boteva, is an immigrant from Bulgaria. She said she knows how critical language development is for academic success and career development.
"It's really important that they are able to navigate our community, are able to participate in course work at the university," Boteva said. "They're able to get jobs. Not just any job or low-skilled jobs, but really the jobs that they're trained for."
Erfan Najaf and his wife moved to Maine nine months ago from Iran. He said this class is helping him prepare for what's to come.
"I'm going to find a job, and I should speak better than this," Najaf said. "It's really helped me because I should try, and I should speak with American people to improve my English."
Kristen Wedin, an instructor at UMaine, teaches the weekly classes.
"Once you have a better command of English, you are able to do so much more," Wedin said. "You can interact with customers as an employee. You can take classes to improve your education, and just become a better citizen if you become a citizen."
As the Orono community welcomes immigrants from around the world, Boteva said it's important they're able to navigate the community, and learning English is key.
"It can positively affect our self-confidence," Najaf said.
If you're interested in learning more about the program, click here.