Adult ESOL Students and Service‐Learning: Voices, Experiences, and Perspectives

Abstract

This multiple‐case study examined the unique perspectives of six adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) students who participated as the givers of a service in a semester‐long service learning community college ESOL course. Their ages ranged from 19 to 45 and they hailed from five different countries (Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam). This study focused on the students' perspectives regarding their oral communication skills, and specific examples have been drawn from sources such as student journals, reflection papers, projects, semistructured interviews, and personal observations. The benefits identified by the participants include becoming more active learners, developing an appreciation of learning in an authentic atmosphere, and gaining self‐confidence. Challenges overcome include language barriers and feelings of fear and incompetence.

A Catalyst for Change: Service‐Learning for TESOL Graduate Students

“…One of the most salient teacher identities that students constructed throughout the semester was teachers as advocates for social justice. This corresponds to the literature that service‐learning can provide culturally rich experiences for prospective teachers to learn to walk the road of social justice (Bippus & Eslami, ; Boyle‐Baise, ; Cipolle, ; Endres & Gould, ; Farnsworth, ; Moore, ; Ruppert, ; Tinkler, Lynne, Tinkler, & Miller, ). Critical reflection on service‐learning can assist future and current teachers in uncovering the inequities that many ELLs encounter in school and in society, laying the groundwork for social justice and equity (Cipolle, ).…”

“…() argue that students and the community members mutually benefited from service‐learning by creating the opportunity for authentic relationship building between participants while teaching English to Karen refugees. Bippus and Eslami () demonstrate how adult ESL students gained self‐confidence and became more active language learners by taking service‐learning courses at a community college.…”

“…Service‐learning has witnessed unprecedented attention across academic disciplines over the past two decades (Bamber & Hankin, ; Boyle‐Baise, ; Boyle‐Baise & Langford, ; Butin, ; Jacoby, ; Kinloch & Smagorinsky, ; Miller, Berkey, & Griffin, ; Perren & Wurr, ). These studies argue that service‐learning should be incorporated into student experience on a wide scale, from the language classroom (Bippus & Eslami, ), multicultural education courses (Fitzgerald, ), and online courses (Matthews, ) to teacher education (Boyle‐Baise, ; Hallman & Burdick, ; Kirkland, ). In particular, teacher educators have argued that service‐learning helps future teachers gather real‐world experience, open their eyes about their future profession, and make connections on a professional level (Hallman & Burdick, ; Ruppert, ).…”

The Multicultural Café: Enhancing Authentic Interaction for Adult English Language Learners Through Service Learning

“…Specifically, they looked for transformative learning experiences, academic language learning, autonomy, and intercultural preparedness. Service learning for postsecondary EAL students in the United States also seemed to garner appreciation for active learning, an authentic environment, and confidence boosting (Bippus & Eslami, 2013). Perren (2013) concluded that service learning as part of a university intensive English course promoted community building and personal growth opportunities.…”

Service‐Learning in the Second Language Writing Classroom: Future Directions for Research

“…In the introduction to that special issue, Adrian Wurr () noted that “although service‐learning in TESOL is in the early stages of development compared to other disciplines … research on service‐learning in TESOL is maturing rapidly” (p. 397). Recent scholarship has examined service‐learning in undergraduate ESL‐specific courses (e.g., Askildson, Kelly, & Mick, ; Bippus & Eslami, ; Elwell & Bean, ; Heuser, ; Minor, ; Perren, Grove, & Thornton, ; Wurr, , 2009), service‐learning and preservice TESOL teachers (e.g., Kassabgy & Salah El‐Din, ; Moore, ; Rueckert, ; Smolen, Zhang, & Detwiler, ), and service‐learning and ESL graduate students (Crossman & Kite, ).…”