FOR A GOOD CAUSE -- Bob Goodman

-- Story by Lolita Harper, photo by [tk]

Two simple words can brighten Bob Goodman’s day.

Good morning.

When Goodman hears those words out of the mouths of his students in

perfect English, he feels a sense of accomplishment.

Goodman, 58, is a volunteer at the Mesa Verde Literacy Council and has

dedicated 10 years to helping area immigrants learn to speak English. He

has taught people from Mexico, El Salvador, Czechoslovakia, Poland,

Vietnam and China -- to name a few -- to master the difficult English

language.

“It is so great to see the advancements that these people make to grow

into mainstream society,” he said. “They no longer have to be isolated in

a non-English-speaking world.”

Learning English not only helps people to communicate better with each

other, it gives them a vehicle to advance in their careers, he said. His

favorite success story comes from a Mexican immigrant who started working

as a busboy at Ruby’s restaurant.

His English was so poor, when people would ask him for an ashtray, he

would bring them a glass of water, Goodman said. But after months of

classes at the literacy council, the man was able to learn enough English

to move up in the ranks.

He went from a busboy to the head of the purchasing department,

Goodman said.

Many people incorrectly stereotype non-English speakers and assume

they are uneducated, Goodman said. But a good percentage of his students

were highly skilled professionals in their previous countries.

“People always think these people are illiterate. But many of them

have better educations than me but just speak very little English or have

not been able to practice,” said Goodman, who has a master’s degree in

English.

Goodman said he spends about 60 hours per week teaching students,

training other teachers or reviewing the group’s financial statements as

the treasurer. While he juggles his volunteerism with full-time

accounting and real estate brokering careers, it is time well spent when

he sees the astounding results.

“I’ve probably helped place thousands of students into better jobs or

allowed them to pursue higher educations,” Goodman said.