Language is a main form of communication- without understanding it, life becomes more difficult. Community members and DePaul students are working to overcome these barriers in a constructive interlanguage program known as Intercambio.
Intercambio was originally founded in 2001 by Lee Shainis and Shawn Camden in Boulder, Colorado. According to intercambio.org, the goal is to connect immigrants and ESL community members with English-speaking community members through engaged discussion.
Sophomore Ximena Vargas acts as the coordinator for DePaul University's branch of Intercambio. She writes lessons, develops discussion topics, and offers guidance to members through her bilingual proficiency. Ximena's main focus is to ensure that everyone can actively participate without fear of failure or judgement- Intercambio was established upon these values and so she reflects that in every session.
“We see that everyone is better off when the immigrants here are contributing, when they can communicate, when they’re participating in schools, when they feel confident- We are better off when we don’t have huge barriers across culture and language,” says Co-founder of Intercambio, Lee Shainis.
Participants have the opportunity to strengthen their primary language proficiency and improve their understanding of a new language. This branch of Intercambio has been running in connection to DePaul University through since 2002. Sessions are regularly in attendance at Steans Center, DePaul’s center for community-based learning, a space dedicated to spreading connection by utilizing Vincentian values. Students participating in the program can fulfill their Experiential Learning Requirement- an independent learning experience ranging from internships to content-application situations in the community. This allows students to connect with ESL individuals and earn college credits.
Intercambio’s success comes from a desire to learn without fear of judgement. Unlike classes where accuracy determines a grade, students can work through learning a new language in a teamwork-oriented environment. Everyone is there to help each other improve through real experiences, not just a textbook.
The group meets once a week every quarter for roughly two hours. They practice vocabular and grammar techniques and try to communicate in a secondary language, being guided by other participants. The same process continues vice versa, as ESL participants can learn and practice English in a stress-free setting. The program also allows students to explore other cultures and share their own, celebrating differences along the way.
Social issues are the main subject of discussion at meeting. Ximena finds that students are always engaged with the content and enjoy working through opinions and beliefs in Spanish. Keeping this subject focus allows participants to learn vocabulary and conversation styles that are not necessarily accessible in classrooms. A key point of learning a language is to understand its roots and the culture surrounding it; social issue discussions provide that connection.
“I like being able to introduce these social justice topics but in Spanish. Everyone can have a political discussion in their native language but being able to speak it in your second language you can be more confident," Ximena explains.
The program is not reserved for students- people of all ages can participate. Jose Ruano, a faculty member in the Chicago Public School district, has been attending Intercambio regularly and is a mentor figure during sessions.
“It is so nice to be able to hear you guys and connect with my language” said Ruano.
Even though he is confident in his English, Jose does not plan on leaving the group anytime soon. Since there are so few people who have English as their second language currently active in the session roster, Jose acts as a main source of inspiration and language competency for the DePaul students. His presence offers knowledge just as he is able to gain from other members. During the final session, Jose reminisced on the personal fulfillment he finds at every session. The value of Intercambio goes beyond learning a new language: it offers connection to peers and to culture.
Intercambio completed their final session of Fall Quarter on November 9th. Students practiced with various group discussion exercise and recalled their fall holiday traditions as well as the significance behind them. The meeting was welcoming, positive, and a sense of community was extremely prominent. At the end of session, everyone played a classic game “La Loteria Mexicana”, - the Millennial edition. There was lots of laughter and collaboration in all of the discussions, and students helped each other find the right words and pronunciations. With high spirits, they said their farewells before break, leaving the space full of experiences, culture, and barriers broken.
Although sessions are normally held at Steans Center, Intercambio sessions will run during the Winter Quarter at DePaul University virtually through Zoom. This decision follows a drop in attendance of ESL members. Although the current participants demonstrate immense support, drive, and empathy, the branch's overall participation rates have decreased in recent years due to scheduling issues and fewer people hearing about the program. The goal is to foster connection through different languages as well as to provide an outlet to learn a new language, so Intercambio wants to reach as many community members are possible. The program hopes to expand its member numbers through the shift and encourages anyone interested to reach out and join in.