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EAST PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — The language lesson starts in a boxy radio studio padded with black cone-shaped foam, where it's uncomfortably hot, small and dark.
Then a full mariachi band is added.
The loud ensemble was a feature on Voz Latina, or "Latin Voices," a weekly community radio show run at Illinois Central College's East Peoria campus that strives to teach Spanish speakers the English language. Although the band was just for its Christmas special, the show brings in locals every week to discuss, in both languages, careers and activities, an easygoing way for listeners to absorb vocabulary words while relating to real people in real situations.
Lori Paton, a fan of Latin culture and a Spanish language learner, brought her radio show idea for convenient education to life last July.
"It's so hard for people working long hours, for those with families, to take time to learn," she said. "For a radio show, you can have it on in the car, at work or listen to it later on a Podcast."
So every week, Paton, her husband Bob Paton and a series of script readers and guests pack into the tiny 90.7FM WAZU Peoria radio booth to record. For most broadcasts that hit the airwaves at 10 a.m. each Saturday, the interviewer relays a question in English, then Spanish. Her guest answers in English, then Spanish.
"It opens my eyes to see how many people we reach," Bob Paton said. "We keep inviting people to interview that are outstanding pillars of the community. It's amazing once people start telling their stories."
Among those guests are local Hispanic professionals, including a doctor, film director, bakers and business owners. Each show includes their dialogue, plus short story passages and radio games based on a weekly theme. Lori Paton said the variety of topics is an opportunity to practice new vocabulary.
Maria Diaz and Fanny Mendoza, frequent Voz Latina guests, recently taped a Mother's Day-themed show. Diaz, speaking slowly and clearly in English, shared what she loved most about being a mom. Then she repeated it in Spanish.
"It's all about working with the Hispanic community, and my job is within the Hispanic community," said Diaz, Spanish liaison at the Comprehensive Bleeding Disorders Center. "Because we're part of this network, Lori will ask us to outreach in the community and bring in guests, like restaurant owners or engineers."
The pair became involved through their friendship with Paton and the help of bilingual Pastor Jim Carlson of First Baptist Church of Peoria, where Paton is a member. The church offers free Spanish-taught general education development exam courses and English as a Second Language classes.
"When I spoke to Pastor Jim, I really liked the idea because we don't have any other radio show like this in Peoria," said Mendoza, who works with Vocational Rehabilitation Management Services. "We are educating the community who may not know about these resources. I'm from Costa Rica, so I have that experience, too (of speaking English as a second language). That's what's rewarding."
Said Diaz: "I'm not alone when it comes to the language barrier; it's really scary. I had it when I came here as a child. (The show) is important to me to be there for people wanting to learn."
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Source: (Peoria) Journal Star, http://bit.ly/1GIFLhX
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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com
This is an Illinois Exchange story offered by the (Peoria) Journal Star.
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