Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

They hunger for knowledge

For local immigrant students, an American dining experience provides an opportunity to learn math, language and social skills.

By Kelley Bouchard kbouchard@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

SOUTH PORTLAND — Fardosa Ali studied the Olive Garden's menu carefully and placed her beverage order politely.

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Emily Tuttle, a teacher of English Language Learners and project coordinator at King Middle School in Portland, helps students Zainab Tavfik, 13, and Fardosa Ali, 14, as they calculate the tip for their lunch at the Olive Garden restaurant in South Portland on Thursday.

Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

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Khatro Hussein, 12, eats a salad and bread sticks as she joins a group of King Middle School students for lunch at the Olive Garden restaurant in South Portland as part of a learning project.

Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

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"I want a Sprite, please," she told her waitress.

A simple task for some. A major accomplishment for a Somali girl, born in Kenya, who has been in the United States for less than a year.

Fardosa was among 22 immigrant students from King Middle School in Portland who had lunch at the Italian restaurant on Thursday. The group included sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders who were born in Somalia, Iraq, Rwanda, Burma and the Dominican Republic.

The experience culminated a three-month expeditionary learning project that exposed the students to a major facet of American culture while they learned English, mathematics, science, nutrition and computer skills.

For many of the students, it was their first experience eating in an American-style restaurant.

"Some of these children started school in September; some of them got here last week," said Emily Tuttle, who teaches math to students who are learning English. Portland's multilingual student population has increased 62 percent in the last six years.

"Many of them had little or no schooling before they came here, so we're starting from scratch with everything," Tuttle said. "We want them to be comfortable and confident so they can walk into any restaurant and know what to do."

A second group of immigrant students from King Middle School will have lunch at the restaurant next week. The students raised money to pay for their lunches by collecting returnable bottles.

Tuttle said that going to the Olive Garden may encourage the students to involve their parents in other aspects of American social life, especially because immigrant children often act as liaisons for their parents.

Tuttle knows from experience. She came to the United States when she was 5 years old. Her father was an American serviceman. Her mother was a native of Japan who often counted on her young daughter to speak on her behalf.

Tuttle organized the restaurant expedition with other King Middle School teachers, including Catherine Paul, whose class of English learners has grown from eight students last year to more than 20 this year.

"These kids are the best," Paul said. "They love coming to school. They drink up everything I teach them and ask for more."

At a table nearby, Roberto Luis-Lopez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, munched on salad and a bread stick while waiting for his entree.

"It's good," Roberto said. "I ordered pizza."

To prepare for Thursday's excursion, the students learned how to read a menu, order food politely, check the addition on the tab and figure out the tip. They also conducted surveys about going to the Olive Garden and used computers to create charts and graphs showing the results.

Maureen Ledoux, the restaurant's general manager, embraced the idea of hosting young English learners when Tuttle approached her. The students toured the Olive Garden in January to see what it was like and learn a little about the food they would be eating.

On Thursday, Ledoux reserved a small dining room for the group and staffed it with several servers, including 21-year-old Abdi Sugule, who was born in Somalia. She also gave each student a coupon for a free children's meal in case they bring their parents to the Olive Garden in the future.

"These are our future customers and employees," Ledoux said, surveying the students as they quietly ate their meals. "In a few weeks, I'm going to their school to learn more about their cultures."

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:

kbouchard@pressherald.com