If you are a Spanish speaker looking for an affordable and personalized way to learn English as second language, then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a great option for you.  The Church provides free English classes for Spanish speakers in the Des Moines metro community. 

The English class is taught by Spanish-speaking church missionaries, and though student attendance varies somewhat from week to week, the class always has a fairly low student-to teacher ratio.  This makes it ideal for any individuals who may have previously felt intimidated in a larger classroom setting. 

One such student is Jesús Gavilan. Jesús and his girlfriend Maria have been attending the English class for the past few months.  He says he has been much more successful in the small class environment. Jesús explained that he has to speak English for his job and had previously taken an English as a Second Language (ESL) course at Des Moines Area Community College. But he felt overwhelmed by the fast pace of the class and the fact that it was taught entirely in English. 

Jesús said, “I like [this class] because there are nice people here, the teachers are nice. They care about [me and my progress].” Speaking entirely in English during his interview, Jesús said he didn’t know why more Spanish speakers trying to learn English don’t take advantage of this smaller, more personalized class setting.

Classes are held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints building at 3301 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines.