May 23, 2005 (Vol. 1, No. 9)

Bridging Language Barriers

This is the second in a series of profiles of selected graduates of the class of 2005.

"Yes," "no," and "pass" were the only three English words that Agbe Ben Epou, a native of the West African Country of Togo, spoke when he first arrived in the United States at age 12. Now, with a Lehman master's degree and almost four languages under his belt, he plans on using his multilingual skills to teach English in his native country.

Despite his earlier linguistic limitations, Epou rose to the top of his classes in high school and college–as an undergraduate at the University of the Pacific, he earned bachelor of science degrees in economics and business administration, as well as a bachelor's degree in French. "I was basically told that I couldn't do a double degree, and that pushed me to do it even more," says Epou about his academic pursuits.

As a graduate student in Lehman's TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program, Epou continued to impress faculty with his professionalism and dedication. For his master's thesis, he examined how languages are organized in the brain and how one's second language affects one's native language when speaking and reading. "My interest in this topic came from my own experience growing up speaking French, Ewé and English," says Epou, who is also proficient in Spanish.

Epou's work on his thesis earned him the TESOL Research Award, which is given to students who demonstrate excellence in their culminating research project.

"Mr. Epou has consistently demonstrated a willingness to go beyond mere requirements to find answers to questions that the research has not yet addressed," says Professor Joye Smith. "He overcame serious obstacles to complete his research in a single semester, made an original contribution to his field of study, and has worked tirelessly to produce quality work–not just in the thesis course, but in all of his classes and student teaching."

In addition to the TESOL award, Epou graduated in June 2005 with the Lehman Urban Teacher Education Award's Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Research Project. His goal is to combine his knowledge of economics with a career in education administration.

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