Between March 14 and 20, 2005, four Millikin students traveled with a Millikin faculty member to the Dominican Republic in order to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to Dominican students. Working with the new SAS  Teaching English as a Second Language Program, our students taught in two different elementary schools in Santo Domingo and also participated in a workshop for Hotel and Tourism Administration students at Universidad O&M (Organización & Método, or Organization &  Method).

According to the program's administrators, as a result of this week's work with Millikin,  " we could see the great necessity there is of teaching English to Dominican children, teenagers, and young adults. Since English is both a universal language and the principal commercial language today,  [this]  is extremely important, especially for students in the field of hotel and tourism administration, who will be working on a daily basis with people of many nationalities."

Program objectives (adapted from the sponsoring organization's publicity)

SAS's Teaching English as a Second Language Program aims to provide an educational opportunity for those Dominican communities to whom English lessons are not normally available, and also  to establish a process of educational-cultural exchange between Dominican communities and students and educational professionals from other countries.

It is a year-round program that relies upon the participation of volunteer native English speakers  who come to the Dominican Republic for a week or more to teach, to learn and to grow. The volunteers participate in Spanish classes,  learn about Dominican culture, go on tours, live with Dominican families, and take part in social events as well as cultural and social work activities organized.

 SAS's English as a Second Language Program is administered by SAS Travel
(Student Services, C x A) and the Centro Cultural Turístico Guanín, Inc.

Center for International Education