E.S.O.L. News

Read the news that ESOL generates about its projects, new outreach programs, conference presentations, grants, and more! Click here.

Read ESOL’s annual newsletter with alumni interviews, leadership highlights, updates on community collaborations and more! Click here.

Read about ESOL in the features published in W&L’s Columns and in local news (e.g. News-Gazette; WDBJ; etc.). Click here.

Read about program updates and resources for community members in Rockbridge County. Click here.

ESOL News & Updates

ESOL in the Columns

ESOL in the Columns

For more than 20 years, ESOL volunteers have participated in language and literacy work in the Lexington-Rockbridge area and beyond. By Kelsey GoodwinJanuary 31, 2023 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is a student organization at Washington and Lee...

WDBJ7 Interviews ESOL’s Co-President Kamryn Godsey

WDBJ7 Interviews ESOL’s Co-President Kamryn Godsey

W&L Students Help Bridge the Communication Gap for Rockbridge County Program offers big impact in community By Natalie Faunce Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 3:00 PM EST ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - The goal is alleviating language barriers for anyone who uses...

Summer program for bilingual students debuts in Rockbridge County

Summer program for bilingual students debuts in Rockbridge County

A summer enrichment program in Rockbridge County just completed its pilot run with bilingual elementary and middle school students. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. https://www.wmra.org/2022-07-06/summer-program-for-bilingual-students-debuts-in-rockbridge-county

¡Las clases comunitarias de ESOL han vuelto!

¡Las clases comunitarias de ESOL han vuelto!

¡Las clases comunitaros de inglés han vuelto! Las clases son gratuitas.  Hagan correr la voz, por favor. Si tienen cualquier pregunta o duda, contactarse con: Sydney Gomez: gomezs22@mail.wlu.edu Mynor Lopez:  lopezm24@mail.wlu.edu

RECRUITMENT/ALL-MEMBER MEETING For ESOL October 12, 6pm

RECRUITMENT/ALL-MEMBER MEETING For ESOL October 12, 6pm

Tuesday, October 12th 6 p.m. in Leyburn 119 ESOL is recruiting volunteers! Come to our All-Member Meeting and meet the ESOL leadership team. Learn about the services we offer to support local Latinx communities. Sign up with one of our teams to assist with: K-12...

¡Baile! October 9th, 2021 Doors at 7 pm

¡Baile! October 9th, 2021 Doors at 7 pm

W&L's Latinx Student Organization is holding a dance on Saturday, October 9th at 7 pm. The event will feature a DJ, Photo Booth, and Light Show.  The theme is: LET YOUR CULTURE SHINE THROUGH! (Wear sparkly attire) The event is sponsored by LSO, OIE,...

Visit ESOL at the Campus Activities Fair! September 12th

Visit ESOL at the Campus Activities Fair! September 12th

Come learn how you can get involved in ESOL!  Services we offer to support local Latinx communities.   Sign up with one of our teams to assist with: K-12 Tutoring; Community English Classes; Interpretations; Translations Community Outreach Bilingual ...

Pluma 2020-2021

Pluma 2020-2021

Please be sure to view our past editions of Pluma on Issuu. ¡Bienvenidos! Somos Pluma, la primera revista literaria en español de la Universidad de Washington y Lee y para el Valle de Shenandoah, y los invitamos a hojear nuestras páginas y gozar de la literatura...

ESOL Collaborates with Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibition (HT-94)

ESOL Collaborates with Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibition (HT-94)

Hi! Here's a blog post! The ESOL Newsletter comes out twice a term. The ESOL Newsletter comes out twice a term. The ESOL Newsletter comes out twice a term. The ESOL Newsletter comes out twice a term.  The ESOL Newsletter comes out twice a term. The ESOL Newsletter...

ESOL Receives Grant from Rockbridge Community Health Foundation!

ESOL Receives Grant from Rockbridge Community Health Foundation!

The Rockbridge Community Health Foundation-Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital grant was awarded to W&L’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in order to support the implementation of a new, community-based summer program for K-12 youth who would...

ESOL Laptop Program

ESOL Laptop Program

Gently used iPads and laptops will be repurposed for use by people who need access to technology for their studies and/or businesses. The global pandemic has made this need more acute, and we’re counting on our community to help us address it. WHAT: Used iPads and...

ESOL Summer Program Pilot 2022

ESOL Summer Program Pilot 2022

ESOL is currently designing a pilot summer program for K-12 children in the local area, which is slated to begin next year (Summer 2022). The program will be focused on engaging local youth in academic (English/Spanish Language & Literacy + Core subjects) and...

ESOL Annual Newsletters

ESOL IN the News

WDBJ7 Interviews ESOL’s Co-President Kamryn Godsey

WDBJ7 Interviews ESOL’s Co-President Kamryn Godsey

Washington & Lee students help bridge communication gap for Rockbridge County
Program offers big impact in community

By Natalie Faunce
Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 3:00 PM EST
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – The goal is alleviating language barriers for anyone who uses English as a non-primary language. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) is a student-run community-serving organization out of Washington & Lee.

The group offers various Education, Health and Housing providers who work with speakers of other languages. All services are completely free.

Kamryn Godse, ESOL Co-President Overseeing Teaching and Tutoring, along with Diana Rodriguez, Interpretations Co-Coordinator from Washington & Lee, join us on Here @ Home to tell us more about the program and its impact in the community.

Since it started 21 years ago, students have formed relationships with individuals and families who needed tutoring, and requests began to trickle in for interpretation and translation services in a variety of other contexts. ESOL now has dedicated teams for tutoring and translation services, which are directed and staffed by students. During the 2021-2022 academic year, student volunteers completed more than 9,000 hours of community service, averaging approximately 225 hours of ESOL-based service per week.

For more information on the program and services offered, log onto the website or call (540) 458-4880.

Copyright 2023 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

Pilot ESOL Summer Program Planned

Pilot ESOL Summer Program Planned

Click here to read the article in The News Gazette. The Rockbridge Community Health Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Washington and Lee University’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) organization to support a pilot ESOL summer program for 2022....

Pilot ESOL Summer Program Planned

Pilot ESOL Summer Program Planned

Click here to read the article on The News Gazette website. Published on Wed, 06/30/2021 - 12:00am The Rockbridge Community Health Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to Washington and Lee University’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) organization to...

Four W&L Students Present at TESOL 2021

Four W&L Students Present at TESOL 2021

Click Here to read this article on The Columns website Under Ellen Mayock's direction, student members of W&L's English for Speakers of Other Languages group will present at the virtual conference on March 25. By Erica TurmanMarch 23, 2021 Under the direction of...

W&L’s ESOL Program Making Impact Locally

W&L’s ESOL Program Making Impact Locally

Click here to read the article on The News Gazette website. W&L’s ESOL Program Making Impact Locally Published on Wed, 07/15/2020 - 12:00am Editor’s note: The following story was written by Laura Calhoun, Washington and Lee class of 2020, for W&L. Catherine...

W&L ESOL Students Share Their Work

W&L ESOL Students Share Their Work

Click here to read the article on The News Gazette website Published on Wed, 03/31/2021 - 12:00am Under the direction of Ernest Williams II Professor of Spanish Ellen Mayock, four Washington and Lee University students presented at the TESOL (Teaching English to...

Washington and Lee University English for Speakers of Other Languages Program seeks gently used computers

Published: Sep. 2, 2020 at 5:56 PM EDT

LEXINGTON, Va. (WDBJ) – A Washington and Lee University professor is trying to help families that need technology for their studies or business.

The W&L program English for Speakers of Other Languages and 50 Ways Rockbridge are reaching out via social media for gently-used laptops and iPads that they can recondition and get to people who need access to equipment, but can’t afford it.

“We are doing all of our teaching now remotely,” explained Professor Ellen Mayock. “So my students are teaching students in the community always now via a computer of some sort, and not everyone we work with has a laptop or an iPad.”

The program’s just started, and they’ve passed on four machines already.

WDBJ Channel 7 Feature on ESOL’s Laptop Program

Rockbridge County News

Resources for Families

Resources for Families

  • Emergency Broadband Benefit- On May 12, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program to help families pay for broadband internet access for their education and work-from-home needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families don’t even know this program exists.
  • NEW Opportunities for Child Care Assistance!- Now through July 31, 2021, more families than ever can join the Child Care Subsidy Program! Families with young children are now able to qualify for child care assistance while searching for a job, and through increased income limit levels. This is an important opportunity to share with families across the Commonwealth. Learn more at childcareva.com.
  • Free Clinic Services Available- The Western Tidewater Free Clinic (WTFC) provides primary care, women’s health, and dental services for adults who are insured or cannot afford health insurance and fit our eligibility requirements.  The WTFC is hoping to reach more people in Spanish-speaking communities near their service areas: Suffolk, Franklin, Isle of Wight, Southampton, Surry, and Sussex Counties.  People can check their eligibility here.
  • Resources for Families in Multiple Languages- USAHello is an online center for information and education for refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and welcoming communities. They offer free classes in many languages to help prepare people for the GED® tests and for the US citizenship test.

 

 

Llámenos ~

CALL US

 

(540) 458-8816

(540) 458-4880

Nuestra Oficina ~

ESOL'S ON-CAMPUS OFFICE

Early-Fielding 108

204 W. Washington St.

Lexington, VA 24450

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