McLean’s International Club is collaborating with the Spanish National Honor Society to introduce a new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) mentor program. This partnership aims to promote inclusivity and cultural support for English language learners.
This week, the International Club is also preparing for the humanitarian walkout by organizing fundraising efforts and planning awareness activities, while also focusing on implementing their new ESOL program.
“Participating in American events for students is important because it allows them to get involved in social and cultural aspects of the new country,” said Maged Alqabany, president of the International Club. “It also helps them to directly improve their language because they get practical experience during those events.”
This school year, the ESOL mentor program is taking a new angle by implementing American culture-based lessons.
“My main goal for this program is to help the ESOL students feel more comfortable in their transition, both through teaching the English and American culture,” said Jimena Rivera Hernandez, junior leader of the Spanish National Honor Society.
Hernandez hopes to bring opportunities for all students to feel welcome during their time at McLean.
“We’re also going to share our experience of going to homecoming and plan to write a checklist of [what they need to know],” Hernandez said.
The program will support a wide range of language speakers including Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Afghanistan dialects and more. The program will also provide general tutoring, ACT/SAT prep and opportunities for finding scholarships.
International Club’s joint commitment with the Spanish National Honor Society to promote cultural exchange reflects their dedication to helping all students to achieve their academic and social pursuits.
“Overall, I think the new collaboration is great because it gives our International Club a bigger platform,” Alqabany said. “Partnering with the [Spanish National Honor Society] provides people the opportunity to interact with a more diverse group.
