By Anita Price Many community members are familiar with the ESL (English as a Second Language) Café program. With new funding made available through Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the program has been expanded and continues to be offered at no cost to participants. The main components of the program, the regular and advanced ESL Cafés, are ongoing with meetings that are held on Tuesdays. These café style meetings are a great way to develop English speaking skills, as well as make new friends and learn about our community. The weekly meetings begin at 10:30 a.m. with meeting content varying between language development exercises, guest speakers and field trips. All meetings include time to visit, ask questions and enjoy a cup of coffee with other participants. Additional learning opportunities are provided through the volunteer one-to-one tutoring program. Tutors are trained and then matched with newcomers to our community who want to improve their English language skills. Most often, tutors and learners meet for one hour, once a week and develop speaking, reading and writing skills as directed by the needs of the learners. New components of the program include book club meetings, discussion groups and movie nights. Previously, meetings were held in various locations around 100 Mile House; however, the majority of meetings are now held in the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy (CCPL) meeting room located at 475 Birch Ave. The entrance is in the rear of the building at the north end. The glass door is clearly marked with the CCPL logo and a current meeting schedule. Any residents or visitors to the area who have English as a second language and would like to improve their skills or learn more about our community are welcome to stop in at the CCPL meeting room on Wednesdays between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to speak with a staff member. For information on any program or on how to become a tutor, please check out the CCPL website at www.caribooliteracy.com or phoning Anita at 250-706-7763. Anita Price is the 100 Mile House ESL co-ordinator for the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy.