Bringing applied linguistics to the community: Discussions on two community engagement projects within the field

As applied linguists, our research is meant to connect theory and use of language to a
host of real-world situations. One method to ensure that our work has real-world
implications is through local community engagement (Thompson et al., 2020) which
attempts to bridge the gap between scholars and people in need of academic support. Community engagement can take different forms from citizen science projects (https://www.citizenscience.gov) to local science communication events (Wagner & McKee, 2023). While community engagement has multiple benefits, it also comes with complications that scholars must navigate such as working with new stakeholders outside of academia, increased pressures on time, complexities in mapping the public education and science communication landscape, and a potential reduction in publication opportunities.

Community engagement does not appear to be regularly discussed within the applied linguistics literature nor in graduate training programs. As such, it can be daunting for scholars to know how to begin initiatives and avoid costly complications. In this presentation, we explore two community engagement projects: (1) a free ESL education program in collaboration with K-12 schools in the United States, and (2) a free public lecture series for EFL teachers in Hong Kong. By examining our own projects in these juxtaposing contexts, we attempt to showcase the joys, challenges, benefits, and hiccups that come when doing community engagement work. Audience members will leave with an increased understanding of the nuances of starting community engagement projects along with strategies for beginning their own homegrown initiatives.