Fabiola Gutierrez speaks English very well. She picked up the second language by practicing with her co-workers, friends and family.

Immersing herself in conversation with native speakers has certainly helped her comprehension and speech, she said. Now, Gutierrez wants to become just as proficient in reading and writing the language.

So, two months ago she enrolled in the Family Literacy Program at the Community Learning Center in Austin.

Gutierrez and her daughters, and about 25 other families, take literacy courses with the program for three hours a day, four days a week.

It is the middle of national Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. This one-time dedication, approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, is meant to raise public awareness of adult education and family literacy programs, such as the one that Gutierrez attends.

“There are 23 families on the waiting list for the Family Literacy Program here,” Adult Learning Program coordinator Janice Mino said.

It can take five or six years for an adult student, who starts with no English skills, to become proficient in the language, she said.

Parents in the program spend their mornings, Monday through Thursday, studying the English language. There are beginner, intermediate and now advanced placement courses, which are new this year.

“Once a student has passed through all of the language levels, they are then ready to prepare for their GED,” Mino said.

Their children, depending on their ages, spend these mornings in pre-school or daycare classes. Here, they too, are immersed in English.

“I can tell that my daughters are already learning so much too,” Gutierrez said.

On Wednesdays the parents also participate in parenting groups, where they discuss parenting issues and general child development.

Also on Wednesdays the families participate in Parent and Child Together classes.

“Here, they learn and practice interactive educational activities that are good for developing their children’s cognitive and motor skills,” Mino said.

The Family Literacy Program is funded mainly by the state, Mino said. In addition, there is some federal funding, and consistent grants from the Hormel Foundation have allowed the program to grow.

Wednesday classes and the new advanced level classes are this year’s new additions, credited to the Hormel Foundation.

Maria Aguilar said she is thankful for the program.

Aguilar did not know any English when she moved to Austin four years ago.

“I am speaking more and more since starting this program,” she said. “My daughter, who is almost three, can count in English and she is learning words,” she added.

Marwa Abubaker, originally of Sudan, has lived in Austin for almost four years.

She has taken classes in the literacy program for three years, and she currently brings her 3-year-old and 10-month-old daughters with her.

“I feel like I have improved my English and I understand people. I am happy because my daughter can talk to people in English,” she said.

Yanet Escalante said she appreciates the program because it offers much more than language learning.

“It is not just English; we learn a lot of information that we need. It is comforting because we come to learn, and the children have daycare. They come to play, but they end up learning a lot,” she said.

“I like it so much,” she said, adding, “I feel so comfortable here.”

The Community Learning Center is located at 912 First Ave. NE. For more information, or to join the waiting list, contact Janice Mino at 460-1700.