English and Espa-ol cross paths in Warden

Twice a week learning reigns at city's Community Church as Americans learn Spanish and Hispanics learn English

WARDEN — Olaf Hoeckmann-Percival goes from cook to firefighter to doctor to dancer in about two minutes. He plays tic-tac-toe, draws toothless faces and keeps talking about enchiladas.

In other words, it must be Tuesday night at the Warden Community Church.

Hoeckmann-Percival, the church's pastor, teaches Hispanic adults the intricacies of the English language every Tuesday and Thursday, from pronouns to verbs, from infinitive to subjunctive, from do-did-does to will-would-could.

No example is too silly to bring a point across. Perform fake CPR, pretend you're Fred Astaire or buy the reporter's camera for $10. Everything is fair game, as long as the students are learning and having fun.

Seven people, three men and four women, go over pronunciation, conjugation and memorization for an hour, peppered with anecdotes, chuckles and the steady energy of Hoeckmann-Percival, who never ceases to be supportive of his group.

"You guys are doing great," he tells his band of eager learners, always reminding them that "English is crazy."

Not as crazy, perhaps as the sight of a pastor whose first language is German teaching English to Hispanics, all the while talking in Spanglish. Perhaps the only thing crazier would be if this class were directly preceded by the opposite, a Hispanic teaching Spanish to Americans in Spanglish.

Of course, that is exactly what happens.

Rafael Gallardo is a native of Argentina and works for Warden's Mennonite Church. For the second consecutive January, he helps Hoeckmann-Percival in teaching the class, this year as the Spanish instructor to a handful of Americans.

The Spanish class starts at 6 p.m. Although there is no dancing and no talk of enchiladas, this class is not without its own brand of zaniness.

"Mi esposo no tiene mucho dinero," read Mo Partland, telling everyone in the room that her husband does not have much money. "El es granjero y muy feliz," she added, noting that nevertheless, her farmer hubby is very happy, "porque el me tiene a m'." ("Because he has me.")

Students on both classes cite their work as the main reason why they are studying a foreign language at an age where most people have left the classroom behind.

"I work with Hispanic parents and I want to be able to communicate with them," said Gail Hardman.

Partland, said that she works at a school also, and that she wanted to experience the same thing her students go through when they learn a language.

Alberto Santos Montemayor works at a store and he wants to learn English because he works at the store's front desk, and sometimes talking can be difficult.

"I try to let myself be understood," he said. "But I need (to learn). Besides, everybody at my house speaks English."