Language as a connection: The Student Club hosts free English courses and promotes community

According to ASU’s website, there are over 17,600 international students.

Many speak English fluently and others know just enough to get by. It can be nearly impossible to immerse and connect with a community where you don’t feel confident speaking the common language.

“I think everyone wants to be understood,” said Bob Dorsch, adviser to the ASU Tempe International Students Club. “We want to be able to communicate clearly, and if that doesn’t happen, it will be difficult to be part of the community.”

Richard Jenkins volunteers with the program to help these students perfect their English. He said students tend to isolate themselves when they don’t have enough confidence to speak English.

Dorsch has been working with international students for over 11 years. He said he is hosting virtual and in-person classes that are open to everyone.

The International Students Club hosts its free English courses for international students and others who want to learn the language.

Dorsch places great emphasis on increasing students’ confidence in the English language. Dorsch said as he teaches students, he asks what they struggle with most and focuses on building self-confidence.

“In a large group it’s easy to be quiet, in smaller groups it’s a big deal to bring them together,” Dorsch said.

In these groups, students can ask each other questions and work on their pronunciation. Dorsch said encouragement often helps students increase their confidence in learning.

Lydia de la Cruz, a graduate student in ecology, lived in Madrid, Spain, before moving to Arizona. De la Cruz said one of the biggest problems is understanding spoken English.

“The hardest part of teaching these courses,” Dorsch said. “That’s when there’s no good reason for the rules. How do you explain that?”

Dorsch said English is a difficult language because there are so many exceptions to the rules.

“A guy asked me today, ‘There are three letter Cs in the name Pacific Ocean, and each C is pronounced differently,'” Dorsch said.

Dorsch said it is important that these students have English skills that are more than “just functional enough.”

Edu Mendoza, a freshman mathematics education major, is from Sonora, Mexico. Mendoza said these courses are important for international students because they “allow for contact with people from other places.”

Mendoza took two of Dorsch’s courses and credits them with teaching new vocabulary. De La Cruz attended three courses and said these courses help international students become familiar with the English language. Both students said they had positive experiences with the courses and plan to continue taking them.

Jenkins and Dorsch said they are passionate and committed to English proficiency while creating a community of support where they can learn and be understood.

The 17,600 international students contribute to ASU’s vibrant and diverse campus culture. Dorsch’s free English courses facilitate conversations for those who want to network and learn through the English language.

Edited by Senna James, Sophia Ramirez, Tiya Talwar and Natalia Jarrett.

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