The English-Speaking Union

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The English-Speaking Union

Education. Scholarship. Understanding. Donate Here: https://secure.esuus.org/forms/end-of-year-appeal-donation-form-updated

ESU believes in building a better world through the English language and international exchange. We work to inspire common bonds: person-to-person, one conversation, one presentation, and one exchange at a time. By promoting creative and confident civil discourse, we enable participants to rise to their potential as individuals, thrive as global citizens, and join worldwide in pursuing conditions for peace. Donate Here: https://www.esuus.org/get-involved/donate/

08/12/2026

We are excited to share a volunteer opportunity with you!

We are looking for volunteers to participate in our professional mentoring program for immigrant job seekers. Each mentor in this program will be matched with an immigrant job seeker. They will work together to help prepare our mentees to navigate the U.S. job market and find economic success.

This is a 12-week program that will run from September 23rd-December 9th. Mentors will be asked to make a commitment between 1-2 hours per week. The entire program will take place online.

If you are interested in participating again in the Professional Mentoring program, please register for the information session on August 18 using this link: https://esuus-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/YmcnwHAOQtetRxt6LmHVSw #/registration

08/10/2026

The ESU Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC) offers advanced-level English classes, career readiness, and community integration services for immigrants who are looking to build English skills and start a career in the U.S.

The ARNIC program is ideal for students who have already taken beginner courses at other programs. New immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in the greater New York City area are invited to apply to join.

Classes begin on September 8! If you are interested in joining, please register for an information session by scanning the QR code or going to https://esuus-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/Vz2r0q6BRte03vRwuyuGUQ

08/06/2026

Our 2026 ESU National Shakespeare Competition winners had an unforgettable summer studying and performing Shakespeare at two renowned drama programs!

First Place winner Andy Wallace (Kentucky Branch) received a full scholarship to the British American Drama Academy's (BADA) Midsummer Conservatory Program at Oxford University.

Spirit Waddell (Atlanta Branch) attended the American Shakespeare Center's Summer Camp in Staunton, Virginia.

These immersive three-week programs give students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn and perform Shakespeare while building lifelong friendships along the way.

Registration for the 2027 National Shakespeare Competition opens soon.. stay tuned! To learn more, visit https://www.esuus.org/what-we-do/shakespeare-competition/

08/05/2026

Sri Lanka wins the ESU International Public Speaking Competition 2026!

Congrats to 19 year old Omar Hazari of Sri Lanka who delivered a powerful speech on the theme "Lighting One Candle", a haiku by Japanese poet Yosa Buso at the grand final, held at the Royal Institution on July 17th. Theodora Todoran of Romania, was awarded 2nd place and Ian Karlton Muyimba of Uganda, 3rd place.

Across the week, students from 46 countries came together in London at the ESU International Headquarters at Dartmouth House and took part in cultural, educational and public speaking activities, including a double-decker London bus tour, and visits to the Tate Modern and London County Hall, alongside training sessions led by experienced professionals. The students developed their communication skills, shared ideas and built lasting international connections. Katherine Zhou of the ESU US shared: “I am so grateful to the ESU for this incredible experience. This week changed the way I see the world. I came to London for a speech competition and I left with forty-six reminders that the world is far more connected -- and for more human than I had ever imagined." Katherine returned to DC where she is interning this summer for Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett.

Learn more about the ESU International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) at https://www.esuus.org/what-we-do/international-public-speaking-competition

08/03/2026

The ESU's 2026 Page to Stage program has wrapped up another unforgettable week of theater immersion in beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon, presented in partnership with the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust. Our merry band included teachers, theater professionals and theatre lovers from across the country who experienced world-class performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company, plus talks and workshops at historic Hall's Croft with acclaimed authors, actors, directors, and Shakespeare scholars. Highlights included "The Cherry Orchard" with Sir Kenneth Branagh, the opening night preview of "Game of Thrones: The Mad King" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The trip concluded in London with lunch and a tour of the historic Lansdowne Club and more theater, including "Much Ado About Nothing" at Shakespeare's Globe. Thank you to everyone who made this inspiring week of learning, performance, and connection possible. We can't wait to do it again next year! For more information, go to https://www.esuus.org/what-we-do/teachers-learning-abroad/page-to-stage/

07/23/2026

In July 2026, our National Patrons embarked on an inspiring journey through London, celebrating art, culture, and language through the lens of Ovid's timeless poem, Metamorphoses. Led by historian and scholar Dr. Catherine Loomis, the tour featured exclusive lectures and visits to Sissinghurst Castle, the National Gallery, Hampton Court, Kenwood, and Apsley House.

One of the week's highlights was the ESU Founder's Award Dinner honoring Donald Best for his enduring commitment to international exchange. We were also delighted to welcome distinguished guests Flora Fraser, Lady Henrietta Spencer Churchill, and Lady Derby.

The program concluded with a special tour of New College, Oxford, shared with members of the English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth and the International Council, an inspiring celebration of our global ESU community.

Interested in joining future experiences like this? Become an ESU Patron Member today: https://www.esuus.org/get-involved/become-a-member/

View the complete Media Gallery here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UyvqkB9cl1PHMTtYN-JzUIXjSJ8xHLce?usp=drive_link

07/17/2026

ESU US Teachers Across the Pond!

Academic & cultural adventures have already begun for ESU educators across the pond studying at Oxford and Shakespeare's Globe in London! US teachers were welcomed with a classic British Tea at Dartmouth House, the elegant London Headquarters of the ESU as they began 2 weeks of Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance at Shakespeare's Globe in London. In Oxford, ESU teachers are in the midst of their 2nd week of intellectual and cultural discoveries inside and outside the classroom. Since 1957, ESU Branches have generously provided scholarships to US teachers to study in the UK. Cheers to a wonderful summer of discovery for these much-deserving teachers!

To learn more about TLab visit https://www.esuus.org/what-we-do/teachers-learning-abroad/

07/15/2026

ESU NY Debate League Summer Camp is back in session!

NYC middle school students are busy at the ESU this July making new friends and developing their public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking skills culminating in a tournament each Friday. Led by passionate educators and nationally recognized debate coaches, students are enjoying learning inside and outside the classroom. Highlights have already included private visits with Ambassador Paul Beresford Hill at the Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta, and to the United Nations, the Morgan Library & Museum, and lunchtime talks with diplomats--connecting debate skills to real-world global institutions made possible in part by the support of the Axe-Houghton Foundation.

07/04/2026

As members of the English-Speaking Union of the United States, we are profoundly grateful for the visionary creation of this country which established an enduring foundation of liberty, justice, and self-governance—echoing Walt Whitman's celebration of our collective journey:

"I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear."

06/19/2026

"Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom — and a call to remember, to reckon, and to honor those who came before us." --Duane Hughes, ESU Luard Morse Scholarship Alum

The ESU invites you to honor the past and celebrate freedom this Juneteenth.

Photo: The African Burial Ground National Monument in Lower Manhattan, Courtesy of Duane Hughes. For more on Duane's visit to the Monument, visit https://www.linkedin.com/posts/duanelhughes_juneteenth-ubs-mosaic-activity-7473404367895789570-BJr7?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAACr2F2MBXCsNpe5PB7oh0_Xd6DNup-sA05U

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144 E 39th Street
New York, NY
10016

Telephone

(212) 818-1200

Website

http://www.esuus.org/

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