My view: Fort Mill ESL program extends a hand of friendship to those who crave it

I love to travel, especially to foreign lands even though I speak no foreign language. I embrace the culture, the food, and even the inconveniences.

I’ve been in the shoes of those walking on foreign soil struggling to adapt, understand, and fit in. I’ve smiled and nodded my way through conversations where I had no idea what was being said, but hoped I was being courteous and not agreeing to eat something still moving. When I made a friend with a Chinese restaurant owner, I realized my weeks of struggle were nothing like her day-to-day reality.

Many people had helped me over the years enjoy my experience in their country, so I decided to pay it forward and provide support to those in my own community.

English as a Second Language (ESL) is a program that provides communication skills to individuals whose first language is not English. Students often need vocabulary and grammar, but more advanced students need to understand idioms and local colloquialisms. The ESL need, however, is larger than just language learning. Students are craving friendship, connection, and a place to fit in. Even if these individuals desire to speak and practice their English skills, many are not confident enough to do so.

The need for ESL services in Fort Mill is real. During the 2016-2017 academic year, Fort Mill’s only daytime ESL program assisted 93 internationals from 20 different countries. That seems impressive for the size of Fort Mill, but the reality is that in the 2010 Census, Fort Mill ZIP codes documented 2,892 households which listed their language preference as something other than English.

I love living in Fort Mill. I think the legacy of giving that Col. Springs fostered has continued. Every Tuesday during the school year there are an average of 41 individuals serving in a variety of ways at First Baptist Church’s ESL Program. What is exciting is that these volunteers represent 19 churches in our community and beyond. Although First Baptist hosts and financially supports the Christian-based ESL program, it is the church body within the Fort Mill community that meets the many needs of the students.

I’m not sure what first comes to your mind when you hear the word “immigrant” or “foreigner,” but this is what I have experienced. Students who gave back to the program by serving their peers in leadership roles. Students who realized the greater good by surpassing their goal of 50 boxes by 10 for Operation Christmas Child while raising the $7 per shoebox to help with shipping. Students who saw the need for supplies for VBS and brought them weekly. Students who coordinated play dates for moms with children at the local Chick-fil-A. And students who shared their culture through traditional foods and artifacts during break time.

This involvement gave them the opportunity to say thank you, and it allowed them to experience the American culture of volunteering and giving back. But more than that, the students felt blessed to be able to say “thank you” to a community that has shown them compassion and helped them become involved citizens and a part of something bigger.

We, as a society, often forget the base knowledge we have of things learned from observing, hearing or experiencing. ESL students may not have had similar experiences in their culture or home country. This is the beauty of having a multi-generational, multi-ethnic volunteer base. One of our male students commented that he expected this program to help him learn English. What he didn’t expect when starting last year after being in the states for only two weeks, was that his teacher would also become his friend. This friendship was evident when his teacher’s wife suddenly passed away.

This student felt a loss similar to losing a parent. These deep connections are something from which many of us would benefit.

Even though we have these great volunteers, there is still a huge need in our community for ESL services. There is an opportunity for other churches to reach out to the international community. We need churches to come alongside First Baptist in starting another Christ-centered ESL program.

If you would like to learn more about starting an ESL program, send me an email at heidi.g.mcgill@gmail.com. If you would like to learn more about this or other ESL programs in our area, please visit fbcfmesl.wixsite.com/fbcfmesl/local-esl-programs. And if you need to broaden your friend base…I know a great place to make some amazing friendships.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 12:13 PM with the headline "My view: Fort Mill ESL program extends a hand of friendship to those who crave it."