Bilingual Services

When it comes to foreign language majors, it may seem at first that it's a skill set not easily applied to volunteer work, but I find that far from the truth. Poverty does not discriminate, and while the poor are not necessarily uneducated, oftentimes the uneducated find themselves poor due to a lack of ability and understanding of how to better and take control their lives. I've personally been touched by the plight of many strong, inspiring, and hard working individuals who have immigrated here from other countries for the opportunities available here, only to find themselves overwhelmed by the language and cultural barriers.

For most of my teenage years, I helped my mother and her coworkers with whatever I could. From help filling out forms to tutoring them in English, I found myself gaining real world experience in translation and interpretation. More than that, every single person I helped was a wealth of cultural information, and they were always glad to teach me more Chinese in return. The things I learned working with them can't be learned or taught in any classroom, and I'm certain they will help me as I move forward through life.

Having this experience of my own, I highly endorse that those pursuing a major in foreign languages to volunteer some of their time working with immigrants struggling with English. There aren't any groups specific to this cause, but after visiting Baldwin Center I'm certain that if the idea of extending bilingual services to the local community is presented, a way will be found.

The need for it is very real, as oftentimes low-income households aren't even aware of the services offered to people in their situations because they simply don't know those services are out there.

Even if they do, such services are easy to misunderstand, and I've personally known people who have dismissed the idea of applying for and seeking out services they very much need simply because they've assumed they don't qualify.

Being trapped behind a language barrier is a very painful thing, because such people are easily dismissed and even discriminated against for appearing less intelligent than they are, simply because they don't know how to convey their level of thinking in a language they're unfamiliar with. To work with these wonderful people, not only will the students be doing a great service to the community, they'll gain invaluable experience.