Building Bridges against Violence: Service-Learning for Second Language Students

by Clara E. Orban and Martha E. Thompson


The swirl of public debate about immigration and establishing English as the official language of the United States poses special challenges to second-language feminist educators. Establishing English as the official U.S. language masks the value of second language skills for addressing social issues in the U.S. Within a social context hostile to languages other than English, the study of a second language risks being understood solely as a personal hobby or a skill useful only abroad. This is a perilous situation in a country such as the United States where many non-native speakers of English may also be economically and socially vulnerable. Although less prominent than headlines about immigration and debates about a national language, headlines about the need for bilingual speakers in the workplace, education, foster care, and health care abound (e.g., "DCFS," Fischman). Feminist educators in modern language programs contribute a unique perspective to the debate. Not only do they have the opportunity to encourage a greater understanding of the importance of linguistic and cultural sensitivity, but they also can frame second language study as a societal need and facilitate students using their second language skills to work with groups in the U.S. not fluent in English.