A lingua franca is a language or way of communicating which is used between people who do not speak one another’s native language.
Collins (2021)
English is the lingua franca of the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Mission & Vision
At Lingua Franca, we encourage ESL students to raise their voices confidently and build their own communities. We aim top provide a platform for ESL students to network, learn and practice their communication skills.
Values
Lingua Franca Mentorship Program
Lingua Franca’s Mentorship Program aims to provide peer-to-peer support to ESL students through biweekly discussion lounges and monthly events aimed at helping ESL students who would like to improve their skills, particularly related to public speaking/communication.
Mentees will be assigned a Mentor (based on matching interests) who will guide them throughout the year with constant communication and a bundle of resources. They will be formed in groups of 2-3 students (maximum 5) to create a group network, develop leadership, and build a community.
Mentees will be able to showcase their improved communication skills under the guidance of their mentors via a speech contest at our end-of-year SpeechCon happening in March 2023.
What you can gain from this as a mentee:
- A space where you can freely enhance your English communication skills with continued support from the team
- An opportunity to develop your leadership skills by working in a group
- A chance to be recognized at the end of the year for your participation and improvement within the program
- An opportunity to build relationships/network and to get involved within the York community
Mentee Applications will close on Friday, January 06 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Application Link: https://tinyurl.com/LFMentee2023
Guidelines: https://tinyurl.com/LFmenteeguideline
Our mentorship program allows students enrolled in the program to be matched with a Mentor who will guide them in creating and presenting a short presentation to be showcased on our 2023 Summit. Mentors will serve as guides and facilitators in their own scheduled work sessions to interact and learn together with their Mentees.
Purpose
The purpose of this program is to provide a space for ESL learners to freely develop their communication and public speaking skills. We hope to increase our Mentees confidence in the English language in terms of presentation (formally and informally) and to decrease anxiety and nervousness in speaking in front of a crowd.
Goal
The goal of this program is for our Mentees to be able to decide on a topic for their presentation and to be able to present them during our end of the year Summit. This goal will be achieved with the support of their Mentors and fellow Lingua Franca team along with a set of resources to fully expand their learnings.
Lingua Franca 