The Language Expansion Program is a student-led program of the Cornell David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement that fosters language learning in a comfortable and encouraging environment for participants. We coordinate weekly events to promote language learning for those who are interested in learning foreign languages so that they can practice their target languages and exchange cultural knowledge. See FAQs for more information!
The mission of the Language Expansion Program is to promote language learning and practice through weekly events, and to promote cross-linguistic and cross-cultural understanding by creating events and encouraging participation that will enhance the members’ language-learning experience.
Now, LEP focuses on promoting language learning and practice through weekly Language Corners, as well as hosting larger linguistic and cultural events throughout the semester. LEP continues its close partnership with TIP.
In 2016, in honor of the program’s 25th anniversary, the name was officially reverted from Language Pairing Program back to Language Expansion Program due to the discontinued use of pairing practices. Now, the program focuses on promoting language learning and practice through weekly Language Corners. LEP continues its partnership with TIP.
In 2001, Fatema Sumar (LEP/TIP alumna and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs) recognized the need for emergency translation services because the emergency services struggled to communicate with a local family. As a result, the Translator-Interpreter Program (TIP) branched out of LEP to better focus on the translation and interpretation aspect. After this, LEP became the Language Pairing Program (LPP), which dealt solely with language pairing duties. Although they were considered two separate groups, TIP and LPP worked together closely, and there was frequent communication between members of both boards.
LPP board members were able to focus more of their efforts on creating better language pairings, handling a larger number of volunteers, planning events, and increasing the program’s outreach efforts.
The Language Expansion Program was founded in 1992 as one of the six founding programs of the Public Service Center, now known as the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement. The program focused on two main goals: (1) training individuals who are bilingual in English and a foreign language to translate and/or interpret for Ithaca-area individuals and families in emergency situations, and (2) establishing language tutoring pairs to facilitate linguistic and cultural exchange.
THIS ORGANIZATION IS A REGISTERED STUDENT ORGANIZATION OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
