By Danny Lezotte

dlezotte@my.madonna.edu

When you walk into a Conversation Club meeting, it is like walking into a social event with friends.  They have snacks and drinks set out for you to enjoy, and you can sense the friendly atmosphere as soon as you walk in.  One of the things that this club does is make you feel relaxed and welcomed, but this club also offers you much more. 

The English Conversation Club provides opportunities for international students  enrolled in the ESL Program to converse with native speakers in a fun and relaxed environment so they can improve their speaking and listening skills and gain confidence communicating in English.

Last winter, the pilot program was introduced and consisted of four students from Ladywood High School.  This semester, the number of students from Ladywood has jumped to 11.  Every Friday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. the conversation club meets and participants communicate with other students from different backgrounds. 

The conversation club is broken down into groups, which consist of one leader. The leaders are the students from Ladywood and one Madonna student who volunteers his time, Dave Kollicker.  The club consists of as many as 40 to 60 participants on a week-to-week basis.  In these groups the students use the time to interact with one another giving international students a chance to practice their English tongue in an environment that is easygoing and relaxed.  Some feel this is the reason why the Conversation Club will be successful.

“One of our goals is to get the international students to feel comfortable enough to speak in English while they are on campus.  If we can give international students an opportunity to practice their English speaking skills, as well as learn about the American culture, they may begin to use their second language on campus.  Hopefully this will make it easier for them to communicate with faculty, staff, and most importantly other students,” said Monika Kimball, Associate Professor and Director of ESL Program. 

This doesn’t just benefit the international students. “I am here to help out, that is why I do it.  But I love Korean and Chinese cultures and this gives me an opportunity to learn about them with firsthand experience.  Some of my favorite classes have been on global studies, and modern Asia.  I am also in the process of learning some of the Japanese language.  So as much as I benefit the international students, I am benefiting just as much, if not more,” said Kollicker, History major.

This club offers a unique experience with students from South Korea, the Middle East, Africa, and Brazil in one room interacting with one another.

“We get a chance to practice our English and learn about America.  We talk about anything we want; school, music, food, classes, or dorm life.  There are no boundaries.  And we all help each other understand anything that is confusing,” said Tionne Kwon, Fashion Merchandise major.

Listening to the students talk and interact with one another, you can really see why programs like this are beneficial in such a diverse atmosphere like a college. 

It also becomes great practice for life after college since the United States is always becoming more diverse. The Conversation Club urges anyone who is interested in this program to look for flyers around campus or to contact the Conversation Club Faculty Advisor Hadeel Hermiz at hhermiz@madonna.edu.