Randolph Community College's English as a Second Language (ESL) department is partnering with the Latino Coalition on the organization of the Latino Festival, also known as El Dia de la Raza, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16.
"The ESL department is involved in this initiative because our target populations overlap," said Yacine Kout, RCC's ESL coordinator. "It is a way for us to get some visibility, advertise our classes, recruit students, get feedback, and to strengthen the partnership between RCC and the Latino Coalition and the Latino community."
Kout is working with Joyce Gamarra, executive director of the Latino Coalition of Randolph County, to plan games and activities, traditional Latin food, folkloric dances, a two-hour live concert (West End Mambo), craft/artist booths, and outreach for the festival.
In addition, Kout has developed a lesson plan for RCC ESL classes that all of the College's ESL instructors will be teaching in one way or another, he said. "It is geared toward involving our students in the community effort and helping them improve their English." In the lesson, RCC's ESL students are being asked to write about their past experience with the Festival and to give recommendations to the planning committee. "It is a way to help the students feel valued and to help them voice their opinions, while at the same time, helping the committee get feedback for the festival planning," said Kout.
Kout joined RCC as the ESL coordinator in May. Originally from Meaux, France, Kout earned his Master of the Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Salem College. He was previously employed as an ESL teacher in the Randolph County School System.
The Latino Festival is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16, from 2-6 p.m. at Asheboro's Bicentennial Park.
For more information about the Latino Festival or RCC's English as a Second Language program, contact Kout at 336-633-0368 or e-mail ykout@randolph.edu.
