Building Language Empathy

January 2025

With only six weeks left on her mission in Salem, Oregon, Rachel Edmunds was asked to serve in a Spanish-speaking area. It was an eye-opening experience for her as she struggled to teach the gospel in a language other than English. “It gave me a lot of empathy for those who have to speak a language that isn’t their own,” she says.

Upon returning to BYU, Edmunds took a multicultural education class and learned about issues facing students of different language backgrounds. That course, and the memory of her language experience on her mission, led Edmunds to minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

“I felt like if I took TESOL classes, I could learn about resources to best help my students,” she says. “I am super passionate about making an inclusive space for everyone in my class.”

Edmunds sees God’s hand in her life: “Everything led me to my career and what I think God wants me to do.” She recently graduated and plans to use what she’s learned to engage students of various language backgrounds and build relationships with them and their families.