Nearly half of Queens residents are immigrants. Queens Library offers job skills training in addition to ESOL, but many students want to run businesses, not work for someone else — the American Dream. Some already have businesses or operated one in their home countries. They need business vocabulary and entrepreneurial skills in addition to learning English and the regulations for business owners — complex and difficult, even for native-born entrepreneurs. No such curriculum existed. Since it is a multi-lingual group, getting a Spanish speaker or Chinese speaker to do programs would not suffice.

Using a grant from the Queens Economic Development Council, Queens Library offered two cohorts, 20 students each, of Ready 4 Business. Students had 60 instructional hours in 10 weeks. The focus was improving speaking, writing, reading and grammar through the use of business English and relevant vocabulary. Students learned English and entrepreneurship by discussing business vocabulary, completing flash grammar exercises in business pitching and marketing and practicing speech through business plan presentations. Students learned to open and use a business bank account, prepared business plans and attended a Small Business Expo. Pre- and post-testing measured improvement.

Forty students attended and there is now a waiting list for the program. Below are some quotes from Ready 4 Business participants:

• Restauranteur/student Q.C.: “I didn’t know a lot of things, had to hire or pay someone else to do a lot of things. If I can learn what I need for my business, I can depend on myself without worrying about who can help me.”
• Realtor/student M.H.: “I’m a new real estate agent, in another world.…There are so many opportunities in NY.”
• Student L.Z.: “I want to know business words and things…if I will open my own business here I need to know this place’s regulations because we from different country.”