English language learners are fortunate these days to have a wealth of resources to turn to, including online blogs and videos, apps, exposure to US movies and music, and an ever-growing number of speakers to practice with worldwide. English has in fact become so prevalent that some projections for the total number of English speakers worldwide indicate a 300% increase by the year 2050. A shift like this further cements the fact that English is no longer seen as “a plus” in the job market, but rather as an essential skill.
There is one nonprofit organization that has helped lead this charge and has been at the forefront of promoting English for over a century now, and that is the renowned English-Speaking Union. The organization first emerged as a grassroots organization in post-WWI England, but expanded globally over the decades, working to promote understanding and communication between all English speakers worldwide. It is now active in more than 50 countries around the world, and has more than 55 branches in the U.S. alone. It engages in a plethora of activities to help everyone interested in English, but it targets its efforts on four key demographics – English learners, English teachers, volunteers, and immigrants, and it does so with an exciting yet challenging variety of programs.
English-Speaking Union Educational Programs
The ESU was founded largely to encourage goodwill amongst English-speaking countries in the turbulent post-WWI era, but its mission statement was quick to grow. The nonprofit’s first foray into English teaching programs was through helping UK immigrants and refugees acclimate and adapt to the English language and culture.
Its educational mission now drives the organization’s international expansion, as it hosts numerous in-person and online educational programs for non-native speakers who wish to improve their English, as well as courses for TEFL and English instructors looking to better serve their students. It also organizes a network of young English teaching volunteers in several countries around the world, with major volunteer hubs in London and New York. Volunteers typically meet with immigrants and refugees twice a week and provide invaluable instruction and support. If you’re interested in this opportunity, contact your local ESU chapter to volunteer.
English-Speaking Union Competitions
Apart from its introductory English learning programs, the ESU also promotes intensive study and practice at the very highest levels of English, with a number of language contests and competitions held globally each year. The National Shakespeare Competition is one of its hallmark events, as young adults perform sonnets and monologues in regional competitions, with the very best traveling to the Finals in New York City. Highlights from previous competitions are available on the ESU YouTube channel.
The ESU is also developing a network of similar competitions in the fields of debate and public speaking, and it also offers essay contests on a wide range of topics. Students who are interested in these fields but not yet ready to compete can also participate as volunteer judges at local events.
These competitions and programs are no doubt an enjoyable way to celebrate the English language, but they can also pay out handsomely, as the English-Speaking Union awards more than $500,000 in scholarships each year. Apart from cash prizes, winners may receive funding for study abroad programs, chances to perform for foreign audiences, and even financial aid for college.
English-Speaking Union Cultural Events
While most of its competitions are geared towards younger competitors, it also offers cultural events around the globe for audiences of all ages in the realms of music and the arts. Its Boston branch, for example, put on acclaimed productions of Hamlet, while its New Zealand chapter recently presented a film festival of British film classics. Similar events include literary readings, both classic and contemporary, a concert series, and social and networking opportunities. One especially noteworthy evening was its 2022 Gala, a black tie event at the Cosmopolitan Club in New York that was attended by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal Anne.
More than just English
While there are a multitude of organizations working to promote English around the globe, few have the expansive reach, experience, and wealth of activities of the English-Speaking Union. Its cultural events and workshops draw individuals from all walks of life and levels of English, providing a dynamic space for shared experiences and mutual growth. These gatherings truly accomplish the nonprofit’s mission of spreading goodwill through the English language, as they foster connections that transcend borders and enrich lives.
