To improve her conversational English and computer skills, Maria Cavazos had to look no further than her local library.

The 42-year-old Lansing resident is one of about 30 people who regularly participate in the Lansing Main Library's "People's Writing Workshop."

The workshops, which take place every Monday from 3 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. until December, offer free, one-on-one assistance with English writing and conversational abilities to anyone who wants to learn. They also provide instruction in basic computer skills.

Cavazos, whose native language is Spanish, attends the workshops to gain more confidence in her English skills.

"I gain a lot from this," Cavazos said. "It's excellent."

The workshops, which boast about 30 weekly visitors, are part of the MSU English department and are staffed by MSU students studying to become English teachers. The program also offers online tutoring.

Ellen Cushman, an assistant English professor at MSU and creator of the program, said the idea for the workshops came from a lack of anything similar in the English department curriculum.

"We have a series of courses that really need some kind of community literacy component," she said. "My job was to find a very real situation for students to apply those theories and to learn something about teaching from people who very much want to learn."

Tutors assist everyone from students who want help with essays to creative writers who are working on children's books. Local pastors also turn to the sessions for help on books of sermons.

"There's just an incredible array of writing and reading and speaking that people are needing help with, so when they come here they're actually helping my students a great deal," she said.

Jill Pfeffer, Cavazos' weekly assistant at the workshops, said the session are a learning opportunity for both sides.

"Even though I'm supposed to be the teacher, she teaches me just as much as I teach her," the English education senior said.

Mike Doupe, another English education senior who works at the sessions, said that he appreciates the real-life experience he receives through the workshops.

"It gives us a lot of experience dealing with people who we otherwise wouldn't have dealt with," he said. "This is what we're going to be doing for our jobs.

"We wouldn't be teaching if we didn't like helping people."