Diversity fuels conversation, especially in the English as a Second Language Center’s conversation partners program.
The program pairs an international student with an American student volunteer and they spend an average of one hour in conversation each week, said Alison Stamps, a lecturer for the American language and culture program. Mississippi State has offered the conversation partners program for international students since January 2000.
“It is a semester-long program and we currently have two sets of students: the ESL students and admitted international undergrads,”Stamps said. “We are providing the students with true conversation practice in a way a classroom cannot produce, and it makes the international students feel more comfortable and welcome.”
This semester is the first time that students involved with the International Services Office have been integrated into the program, Phil Bonfanti, ISO director, said.
“I approached the ESL and asked if we could have our undergraduate admitted international students involved in the program this fall,”Bonfanti said. “The program will offer our students a safe environment where they can practice their English.”
The international students are not the only ones who benefit from the program, said Aaron Monroe, a senior history and political science major.
“It’s really a worthwhile program to get involved with because it allows you to learn a lot of things about different cultures that you would not have been exposed to without leaving the country,” Monroe said. “This will be my fourth year of involvement in the program and I’ve met people from throughout the world and learned about many different cultures.”
American students are encouraged to volunteer in the program to expand cultural knowledge while helping to make other students more comfortable, Stamps said.
“If you went to another country you would want somebody to help you and make you feel at home and that is what this program works to do,” Stamps said.
The program is also an opportunity for the international and American students to form friendships, Bonfanti said.
“A lot of times an international student will get to experience traditionally American holidays such as Thanksgiving with a conversation partner,” Bonfanti said.
The program affords multi-cultural friendships as well as future connections if one were to travel abroad, Monroe said.
“Sometimes you develop life-long friendships with your conversation partners,” he said. “I ended up becoming best friends with my first conversation partner.”
The program has grown each year since its start and this year there will be roughly 40 students enrolled representing over 16 different countries, Stamps said.
“This is a key step in expanding the cultural experience for our students here at MSU,” Bonfanti said. “We are always looking for new ways for our over 600 international students to interact with American students.”
MSU students can get involved with the program at any time by contacting Stamps at 325-5001 or by stopping by the ESL center. An interest session will be held at 5:30 p.m. today in the third floor faculty lounge of Colvard Union.