Meramec Conversation Partners Program

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Meramec Conversation Partners Program Handbook Holly Schuessler International Student Admissions St. Louis Community College/Meramec (314) 984-7497 (office) Hschuessler2@stlcc.edu Overview Welcome to the Meramec Conversation Partners Program! This handbook is designed to assist you and your partner in having successful English language conversations and cultural exchange. The purpose of this program is to pair a native English speaker with a non-native speaker to provide informal English language conversation practice. Partners will meet for 30 minutes once a week throughout the semester. Through the program, the non-native English speaker will gain English language practice and cultural understanding. Benefits to English-speaking…show more content…
Louis Community College/Meramec (314) 984-7497 Hschuessler2@stlcc.edu What is the Meramec Conversation Partners Program? IT IS… More than just informal English conversation! The Meramec Conversation Partners Program is also a cultural exchange. Partners should share information and ideas about their native countries and cultures. This provides a better understanding of each partner and a more well-rounded view of the interconnected world in which we all live. Remember, we are all citizens of the world! IT IS NOT… * Academic or tutorial, therefore your partner is NOT your teacher. It is NOT a means for partners to strictly obtain homework help on highly structured lessons, books or handouts. * A dating service. Partners may be matched based on preferences and interests specified on the application, however, no specific matching is guaranteed. How to have a successful partnership… 1. Arrange a regular time to meet. Partners must meet at least once a week for 30 minutes but may add more time if both partners agree. Having a regular time set will help you stay focused and allow you to plan your schedule…show more content…
Meet at a comfortable and convenient on-campus location. Be flexible and choose a place where you can both hear the conversation. If need be, try out a few different locations around campus to see what works best. 3. Be prepared. You should meet your partner with topics of discussion in mind and/or questions you would like to ask. Sometimes partners become good friends and never need to search for something to discuss. However, this does not always happen; nor should it. Some students learn better with a language partner because they are not friends and do not get distracted as easily. 4. Be flexible! Most students are very busy. Sometimes people will need to change times or locations due to work or personal schedules. Try to be understanding and flexible with change. If it becomes a frequent problem then discuss it with your partner or contact Holly Schuessler for assistance. 5. Stay in touch with Holly Schuessler. If you find that you and your partner are not meeting with the regularity you both committed to or other issues arise, please contact Holly Schuessler at hschuessler2@stlcc.edu. I will follow up with your partner and determine if a change is
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