In 2025, the English Language Institute, under the Office for Global Engagement, enrolled 507 students in its General Education (GE) language classes and its community partnerships.

About 7% of these students were University of Utah staff members. Workers whose primary language is grammatically and phonetically different than English, but their willingness to learn and blend more easily in their community makes them put in some extra effort and take advantage of the opportunity of learning and improving a second language.

“We all came from our countries with preparation and experience, but not knowing the language is definitely a limiting factor,” said Laura Camargo, originally from Venezuela and a custodian on the upper campus. “This program is incredibly beneficial for us; it gives us confidence and the opportunity to grow in our department,” explained Camargo, who also works at the Utah State Capitol and warmly jokes that now she can talk with senators and make friends everywhere.

As Camargo, dozens of Housing & Dining Programs (HDP) custodial staff members have been part of the program since 2024, as participation in English language courses is a form of professional development offered by the department.

“Investing in an ESL program is an investment in our people,” said Sean Grube, associate vice president for Housing & Dining Programs. “It helps remove barriers to communication, strengthens confidence and creates more opportunities for every employee to contribute, grow and succeed. We are proud to support a workplace where learning is encouraged, everyone feels valued and every team member has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”

For Wendy Vega Cespedes, a custodian from the upper campus and originally from Chile, learning the language helped her to “dream bigger.”

“In the past, I was paying for a course, but it was difficult to attend with work and all the responsibilities. Now, we go in the afternoon, as part of our job, and it is here on campus!” she said. “I’m really grateful and excited to learn more and more, grow in our department, and apply for new opportunities.”

A keyword: confidence

When asked what they liked about the program, staff members’ consensus was patient instructors, great printed materials, and support.

“I was afraid of speaking in English and making a mistake,” said Lourdes Arroyo, originally from Mexico and custodian of the upper campus. “Not anymore! The teachers are good at giving us confidence. My husband is fully bilingual, and I used to rely on him, but now I can do it by myself. At work, we are all from different nationalities, and it was difficult to understand each other; now it is very smooth.”

Being self-sufficient is not the only way they show their confidence. Esthefany Ayuque from Peru and a custodian on the lower campus, decided to be a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Salt Lake Community College after completing the first course.

“I will get my CNA degree in November, and my idea is to look for opportunities at the U because I love working here,” she explained. “This program helped me to be more confident when talking, to better formulate sentences, and to improve my pronunciation.”

The program

There are six levels of English as a Second Language courses, and classes are twice per week from 2 to 4 p.m. Each level lasts 12 weeks, with two sessions during the academic year: Spring and Fall.

“We work with the interested department and shape the curriculum and course modality for their staff,” said Brian Parrott, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the English Language Institute. “We teach them English for specific purposes, focusing on those skills that they use at work, and things like computer skills, using CIS and Umail.”

Hundreds of U of U employees originally from nations like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, several parts of Africa, and the Americas benefit from this program, which began offering it to staff members in 2023 as part of a partnership with U of U Facilities. Interested departments on campus—and in the hospitals and clinics areas — are welcome to contact Brian Parrott at b.parrott@utah.edu.

For the general public, the department also partners with The City Library (Glendale Branch) and University Neighborhood Partners (Hartland Center) to teach weekly classes on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 pm.