Pearl River Community College’s free English as a Second Language classes are helping adults in the area master the English language.

Course instructor Delia Daigle has been teaching ESL classes for 13 years, she said. Daigle said the program has had students from Russia, the Philippines, Mexico, and more. The classes meet twice weekly to help students learn the language or improve their command of English, Daigle said.

The summer program will begin June 3 and ends June 25, Daigle said and is open to adults at least 17 years old. Classes will run Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to noon in room 202 at Jefferson Davis Hall on the Poplarville campus, she said. The regular program will return in the fall with morning and night classes available.

The class has helped a diverse group of community members improve their language skills, Daigle said.

“It helps them to integrate themselves into the community. I have had doctors. I have had teachers. I have had restaurant owners. I have had hotel managers. It’s for everybody,” she said.

Daigle said one of her students is going to apply for colleges after improving his English in the ESL classes.

Carriere resident Julieta Ramirez only has time for one ESL class a week, but still the class has helped her a lot, she said. The classes have students practice their writing and speaking skills, Ramirez said.

The class has helped Ramirez communicate with her doctor at appointments, she said. Before the class, Ramirez had never used a computer she said, but now she uses one during class time.

Ramirez and Daigle agreed that offering a free class makes it accessible to more students. Daigle said many of her students work construction or cleaning houses, so having access to a free language class helps them.

“Not everybody has the means to keep on studying and keep on accomplishing their goals,” Daigle said.

The class is flexible for students with busy work schedules, Daigle said. The registration is open and students can begin coming whenever they are able, she said.

The course has been available at the Poplarville campus for one year, Daigle said. Typically 12 to 15 students will attend the class, Daigle said, but the school never turns ESL students away. PRCC also offers other free adult education classes, such as a GED program, Daigle said.