Washington and Lee University's English for Speakers of Other Languages Program: Ambassadors of Good Will and Agents of Change

Abstract

Abstract: In 1996, Ernest L. Boyer's "The Scholarship of Engagement" ignited a national conversation with its call for greater dialectical exchange between "academic and civic cultures." In 2001, Washington and Lee University (W&L) Professor Ellen Mayock founded the student organization English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), with the mission of fostering effective communications among people of all languages. Over the last 21 years, ESOL has evolved with the changing demographics of our local community and the small liberal arts institution. Currently, ESOL comprises a team of fourteen students (including native and heritage speakers of Spanish and Spanish language learners) and two faculty advisors focused on two areas of outreach: 1) teaching and tutoring services offered to predominantly Latine/x community members; and 2) translations and interpretations completed on behalf of our community partners. The current paper addresses how ESOL responds to Boyer's call to action, and it shares the impact that ESOL has in our local community and that our community has on us, as we and our students become ambassadors of good will and agents of change. We will focus on 1) Programa Sol, ESOL's brand-new K–8 summer enrichment program; 2) community projects completed by ESOL volunteers; and 3) university/community programming organized by ESOL. We will explain how ESOL engages students as pedagogical partners and values community identities and language as an asset.