UW ESL CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY

The ESL Programs at the University of Washington, Educational Outreach, draw adults from all over the world. Since a primary goal of our students is to improve and practice their English, many welcome the opportunity to get involved in the community. Moreover, among our 70+ faculty and staff are found valuable linguistic and cultural resources. Below are a few ways our department could be an international resource for the community.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

Advising Office

We have students representing Asian, Latin American, Arabic, and occasionally European, Russian, and African cultures. Many students are looking for opportunities to share their culture and to practice speaking English. The ESL Advising Office maintains contact with all of our students in the Intensive English Language Program. To find a student volunteer representing a specific culture:

Contact: Peter Voeller, International Student Advisor

Tel: 543-6361 E-Mail: psv@u.washington.edu

or: Natalie Pret, Academic Student Advisor

Tel: 685-6363 E-Mail: nataliep@u.washington.edu

Community Service Class

The SERV class, based on a Service Learning model, is popular in our campus program. ESL students with an advanced level of English may elect to take this course. Each student spends approximately 6 hours a week in community service for about 8 weeks, volunteering in a setting in which s/he has an interest or experience. Contact is maintained between the SERV teacher and the volunteer’s supervisor. In addition, the student volunteers meet for 2 hours a week in a classroom setting where their experiences and questions are shared; problem-solving, usually based on language and cultural confusions, occurs at this time.

Successful placements have included classrooms, individual tutoring, and social service agencies such as food banks, clothing banks, hospitals, senior centers, pharmacies and coaching positions.

Both the sites and the students have had very favorable reactions to this service learning experience. The volunteer sometimes extends his/her commitment beyond the quarter if it is to the benefit of everyone involved. For more information or to request an international student for community service in your organization:

Contact: Cindy Chang 543-6242 E-mail: cechang@u.washington.edu

Site Placements for Japanese Professionals

Young Japanese professionals spend 3 quarters in the classroom practicing English language skills for the workplace, followed by one quarter of on-site experience. A placement consists of 20-30 hours per week. A placement coordinator works closely with each student to ensure that the placement is appropriate in terms of interest and skills; the site supervisor also interviews the potential intern before final placement is made. Following placement, the placement coordinator maintains contact with the site supervisor and meets regularly with students.

In addition to these placements, students in this program regularly volunteer in the local community and may be available for fewer hours per week during their first 3 quarters of study at the UW.

For more information on working with a Japanese professional in this program:

Contact: Cara Izumi

Tel: 685-6441 E-mail: caraizmi@u.washington.edu

Project-Based ESL Program

International students elect to study in this program at our downtown campus. Focused on speaking and listening practice, the classes promote community experiences, from field trips to group projects to individual explorations of personal interest. Groups of students in this program have volunteered at food banks; taught games from their cultures in elementary schools; taught their language to children and told stories to groups of children. Teachers welcome requests from the community for class projects; grammar and conversational preparation precedes any community involvement. Individual students with an interest in going out into the community may also be identified here.

For more information on how to bring international students from this program to your class or group:

Contact: Barbara Hansen-Johnston, Director of Downtown Programs

Tel: 685-4260 E-Mail: hanse@u.washington.edu