Three years ago, fewer than 10 Nepali immigrants took English classes at Adhikaar, a Queens group that supports transplants from the small South Asian nation.

Now, nearly 100 Nepalese, who are part of a flourishing population planting roots in the borough, pack into eight classes a week with hopes of overcoming one of the biggest obstacles in their new life -- the language barrier.

"The community has grown so much in the last decade," said Luna Ranjit, 34, executive director of Adhikaar, the Woodside-based nonprofit group. "A lot of people didn't get formal schooling in Nepal, and English is a very different language from the mother tongue. Here, people learn from each other, hear each other's stories and they can build confidence."

Local Nepali residents are concentrated in Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, and Woodside, and a majority are first generation.

The growth has been visible on the streets over the last five years, said Narbada Chhetri, 46, an organizer with Adhikaar who immigrated to Woodside from Nepal in 2006.

"I see Nepalis on every block," she said. "Now if I need people, within one hour, I can find 100 people."

With little knowledge of English, these new Queens residents struggle to access services, whether it's navigating hospitals or receiving food stamps, organizers said.

That's why Adhikaar has developed its free classes. Lessons often include specific topics, such as health care for immigrants. Volunteer teachers, in addition to offering language skills, will tell participants their rights in processes that might be foreign to them, like hospital visits.

"If you are sick and it's an emergency, and you call an ambulance and go to the hospital, they cannot refuse you,"

Adhish Gurung, a teacher, explained in English to a recent class of more than a dozen immigrants. The bond students form in the classroom is inspiring to Gurung, 22. "The students encourage each other," he said. "Peer support is very integral."

Participants said that it's more than just English skills that draw them to Adhikaar.

"It's like having a family here," said Shanti Giri, 66, of Sunnyside, speaking through a translator. "Here, I don't miss my own family."

For Dibyashori Shakya, 56, of Elmhurst, learning to write -- in any language -- was a proud moment.

"I feel very happy. It felt very good," said Shakya, through a translator. "I learned how to write my name."