Campus Conversation Partners connect through language, friendship

Ting Huang, a UI student from China, and Keary Saul, a staff member in the Department of Neurology, are participants in the Campus Conversation Partners program, which connects nonnative English speakers with faculty and staff for informal conversation opportunities. Photo by Tim Schoon.

Keary Saul has always longed to travel to distant lands.

“I have a strong, unsatisfied wanderlust, but so far, most of my international travels have been imaginary ones,” says Saul, a Des Moines native who works as a secretary in the University of Iowa Department of Neurology.

So when Saul received a mass e-mail about a new UI program, Campus Conversation Partners—which connects nonnative English speakers with members of the faculty and staff for informal conversation and friendship—she jumped at the chance to get involved.

“In real life, I have only been to England and Canada. Friendships with international students and immigrants provide an inexpensive substitute for real travel,” Saul says. “Plus, the context of a one-on-one conversation allows us to discuss cultural issues much more candidly than we could if it were a classroom or large group.”

Over the past year, Saul has met more than 40 times with her conversation partner, Ting Huang, a Chinese student with whom she was matched in September 2007. During these weekly discussions, the pair has talked about everything from family, religion, and politics to gender, race, socioeconomic status, and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“You name a controversial or taboo topic, and we’ve probably covered it,” Saul says, who has tutored ESL students in the past.

Sue Almén-Whittaker, who coordinates Campus Conversation Partners, says that Saul and Ting were two of 120 active members in the program—or 60 pairs—who were matched when the program was first launched in 2007.

A small Catalyst Award Seed Grant offered by the UI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity helped get the program off the ground the first semester, and the program is currently funded by UI ESL Programs. Almén-Whittaker says an estimated 360 ESL students and an undetermined number of nonnative English language learners—including scholars and staff—are eligible for participation in the program.

“The reason behind creating the program on campus stemmed from the feedback we were getting from our ESL students: they wanted to make American friends and they wanted to know more about Americans and American culture, but they didn’t know how to approach Americans,” Almén-Whittaker says. “Essentially, many nonnative English-speaking students on campus are isolated from casual friendships with Americans due to their study and job requirements or lack of confidence in their English.

“We wanted to help them bridge that gap.”

What it involves

Participants sign a contract for one semester requiring them to meet their partner in public places on campus for one hour a week. Huang and Saul meet Thursday evenings for one hour of conversation, usually outside of CVS pharmacy in the Old Capitol Town Center in downtown Iowa City.

Huang says that she has benefited greatly from her involvement with the program, especially improving her English skills for her work as a teaching assistant.

“I was seeking someone to talk to, and at the same time, I also wanted to improve my English and learn more about American culture,” says Huang, 26, a student from Hangzhou, China, who came to the University to pursue a graduate degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language and Asian civilizations.

She said that meeting with Saul gave her the confidence and ability to pass the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (a.k.a. SPEAK), an oral test to assess English proficiency of nonnative speakers. Graduate teaching assistants must pass the test in order to work in the U.S. university system.

Saul says that the language-teaching component was an aspect of the program that she found appealing.

“Each time Ting has a problem with grammar or pronunciation, it’s like a mini-adventure for me,” Saul says. “I enjoy working together with Ting to investigate and pinpoint the cause of the problem.”

Last fall, for example, Saul says that when Ting said “ancient” it first sounded like she was saying “Asian.”

“I couldn’t differentiate between the two spoken words at all. Since these are words she uses frequently in her teaching, we spent over an hour focusing our attention solely on these two words,” Saul says. “And when she pronounced the two correctly, we both cried. Now, whenever Ting wants to make me smile, she just says, ‘ancient Asian,’ and I grin like a fool.”

A lasting bond

Although the program is specifically for one semester, some matches have continued to meet beyond the program parameters, as Huang and Saul have done.

“We attempt to match partners by looking at their favorite activities and how they describe themselves,” Almén-Whittaker says. “It’s not terribly scientific, but it seems to work out most of the time.”

Huang and Saul have been a perfect match. Even though improving Huang’s speaking skills was a big part of her initial interest in the program, both women agree that their flourishing friendship has been a primary benefit.

“I feel really luck to have met Keary, and I’ve learned a lot from her,” Huang says. “The most exciting part of this program is you have a chance to regularly meet with an American friend, practice English, and learn the culture. I love it.”

Since Huang passed her SPEAK tests, she wanted to repay Saul for her kindness.

“Since Ting passed both of her tests, our goal this semester is physical fitness—specifically, my fitness,” Saul says. “Ting wanted to do something to help me in return for my time, so we now meet for exercise at the UI Field House.”

Saul and Huang say they share many mutual interests, ranging from shopping together to pursuing culinary adventures. The pair also enjoyed watching the opening of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

“It was great to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics with Ting since she was able to teach me some of the folklore and cultural stories behind the dances and other performances,” Saul says.

Mutual benefit

The program is truly a win-win, Almén-Whittaker says.

“For the faculty or staff member, they get to know a lot more about their partner’s country and culture while sharing U.S., Iowa, and Iowa City culture and traditions with the student or scholar,” Almén-Whittaker says. “The student or scholar gains the same cultural benefits while improving his or her English.

“We also knew that more exposure to cultural diversity would be beneficial, not only to our students, but also the greater campus community,” Almén-Whittaker says. “This promotes acceptance and understanding,” Almén-Whittaker says.

Huang and Saul agree.

“The most important characteristic Ting and I have in common is the belief that, as humans, we are all more alike than we are different,” Saul says. “This is especially helpful when we discuss cultural differences, because it means neither of us feels superior or judgmental. Our goal is to understand and enjoy each other’s company, not to promote agendas or ideologies.”

by Lois J. Gray