ESOL Conversation Program

Home

The conversation sessions for the Spring 2012 semester begin the week of February 20 and end the week of April 30, 2012 (the last day of conversation sessions for spring 2012 is April 27, 2012).

Program Description

Vision and Goals

The UMD ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Conversation Program is a student-centered community that specifically aims to bring students and community members from diverse cultures together through authentic language learning/teaching, cultural exchange and passion for minorities.

Services

UMD ESOL Conversation Program offers two conversation settings

Conversation Groups: Meet weekly for 90 minutes with up to 8 ESOL participants and a volunteer. Each group meets for 10 sessions throughout the semester.

Conversation Partners: Meet one-on-one with a volunteer weekly for an hour each week. Each pair meets for 10 sessions throughout the semester.

ESOL participants/volunteers may choose to join one or both of the conversation settings. There is limited enrollment for one-on-one sessions. ESOL participants will be paired/grouped on a first come first served basis at the registration session.

Proficiency Levels

ESOL Participants will indicate the proficiency level they believe they are on based on a set of descriptions on the pre-registration form.

The three levels are:

• Beginning
• Intermediate
• Advanced

Program Calendar

Will be updated periodically throughout the semester

ESOL Participants

"Successful mastery of a foreign language will depend to a great extent on learners' autonomous ability both to take initiative in the classroom and to continue their journey to success beyond the classroom and the teacher" ~ Douglas Brown

General Information for Students

UMD Members
All UMD members are eligible to participate in the ESOL Conversation Program as students free of charge.

UMD members include:

• UMD students (both graduate and undergraduate),
• staff,
• faculty,
• international visiting scholars.

Non-UMD Member
Non-UMD members are members without a university ID; they may also participate as students for a $75 fee per semester.

How to join:

1. Fill out the student pre-registration form by filling out the fomr that corresponds to the session you can attend.
2. Come to the registration session that you have signed up for with your UID.
3. Sign up for a conversation partner and/or group at the registration session.
Wait for e-mail confirmation from the program coordinator.

Pre-Registration Forms

Student Pre-registration ends Wednesday. Februrary 1, 2012 for students.

You only need to attend one of the following sessions:

Student Registration Session: Mon., Feb. 6, 2012 1:00-2:00 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

Student Registration Session: Tues., Feb. 7, 2012 5:00-6:00 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

Student Registration Session: Wed., Feb. 8, 2012 2:30-3:30 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

Student Registration Session: Thur., Feb. 9, 2012 1:00-2:00 p.m. in lab 3 and 1 at Lefrak Hall

Student Registration Session: Fri., Feb. 10, 2012 2:30-3:30 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

Student Registration Make-up Session: Mon., Feb. 13, 2012 1:00-2:00 p.m.in lab 1 at Lefrak Hall (Sign up here when you have missed your original student registration session)

Due to a limited number of seats at each computer lab, there are only 40 seats available for each session (20 for the make-up session).

If the link no longer works, it may mean that the particular registration session is now full.

Starting your ESOL Conversation Sessions

Expectations for students/ESOL Participants

• Attend the registration session for ESOL participants
• Meet with your volunteer (and other ESOL participants if you are in a Conversation Group) once a week to talk about topics such as cultures, current events, university life
• Participate for the entire 10-weeks of service
• Be on time to the conversation sessions
• Use session times to practice English conversation with volunteer and other ESOL participants
• Read e-mail correspondence from the ESOL program, participate in surveys, program evaluations, and provide feedback




Volunteers



"Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

General Information for Volunteers

Any UMD member or community member can join as volunteers. Volunteers do not need to have prior teaching experience but should be fluent English speakers. At the registration/information session and the workshops, the program coordinator will provide tips and guidelines on how to help ESOL participants to meet their learning goals and language needs.

How to Join:

1. Fill out the volunteer pre-registration form by filling out the form that corresponds to the session you can attend.
2. Come to the registration session that you have signed up for.
3. Make availabilities for your conversation session(s).
4. Wait for e-mail confirmation from the program coordinator.

Pre-Registration Forms

You only need to attend one of the five sessions that are available at your convenience.

New/Returning Volunteer Registration Session: Mon., Jan. 30, 2012 12:00-1:00 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

New/Returning Volunteer Registration Session: Tues., Jan. 31, 2012 5:00-6:00 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

Returning Volunteer Registration Session: Wed., Feb. 1, 2012 2:30-3:30 p.m. in lab 3 and 4 at Lefrak Hall

New/Returning Volunteer Registration Session: Thur., Feb. 2, 2012 1:00-2:00 p.m. in lab 3 and 1 at Lefrak Hall

New/Returning Volunteer Registration Session: Fri., Feb. 3, 2012 2:30-3:30 p.m. in lab 3 and 1 at Lefrak Hall

Volunteer Make-up Registration Session: Mon. Feb. 13, 2012 12:00-1:00 p.m. in lab 1 at Lefrak Hall

If the link no longer works, it may mean that the particular registration session is now full.

New/Returning Volunteer Registration Sessions are for both new and returning volunteers. The registration will have a brief program overview, attendance, making availabilities and some training.

Returning Volunteer Registration Session is only for returning volunteers. It is especially designed for volunteers who do not need to sit through the program overview. The registration will go over the new changes to the program, attendance, making availabilities as well as some training. There may also be a short community building activity at the end of the session.

Expectations for Volunteers

• Attend the registration session for volunteers
• Meet with students/ESOL participants once a week for 10 weeks to talk about topics such as cultures, current events, university life
• Participate for the entire 10-weeks of service
• Volunteers are required to attend volunteer workshops and one of the two training workshops during the semester.
• Be on time and prepared for each conversation session
  While we do not require volunteers to have experience in teaching/tutoring, we do expect volunteers to review the guidelines, tips as well as other resources provided by the program coordinator before each conversation session. This short but meaningful prep time will help volunteers to identify their own objective for the conversation session.
• Record each session's attendance on attendance log (paper-baased) and online.
  (Another alternative paper-based only option is available and will be explained in the in-person session.)
• Use session times to help ESOL participants practice English conversation with students only
• Read e-mail correspondence from the ESOL program, participate in surveys, program evaluations, and provide feedback





Transportation

Parking for all students and volunteers is free after 4:00 p.m. in numbered lots (lots 1-19)
*Note: numbered lots have white background and black letters (Lot 1 is recommended)

Volunteers who are NOT affiliated with the UMD (not a student, faculty, or staff on campus) may request a parking permit (for parking before 4 p.m.) or a shuttle bus letter for free. Parking permits for volunteers may be granted but are not guaranteed.

Non-UMD ESOL Participants (students) may request for a shuttle bus letter.






Frequently Asked Questionss




Do we have to meet at the same time every week?

Conversation Groups should meet in the same place at the same time every week. Conversation Partners have more flexibility, but the time and location for the conversation sessions should be relatively consistent.





Why do we need to attend the registration session in-person?

ESOL Conversation Program registration sessions help both students and volunteers:

• get updated program information
• familiarize with Tutor Trac (software for attendance and making appointments)
• provide suggestions for the program
• engage in community building





Are there conversation sessions during the winter and summer terms?

ESOL Conversation Program only offers conversation sessions in the fall and spring semesters. ESOL participants are encouraged to stay in touch with their peers and the volunteers to meet on their own over the winter/summer terms.

What have volunteer leaders done with their ESOL students in the past?

The most common activity is simply talking. You should look over conversation topics, guidelines, and resources for suggestions before each conversation session.

Some volunteers do activities with their groups or speaking partners. This is especially helpful at the beginning when you do not know your student well or if your student's English is very limited. It is important to be sensitive to your ESOL student's language ability as well as his or her personality. Beginning students have more difficulty in noisy situations (such as a party, coffee hour, or crowded restaurants).

Some suggested activities include:


• Visit a museum in DC and take a tour
  • Smithsonian Museums (http://www.si.edu/Museums)
• Go out to eat: take your conversation partner to one of your favorite restaurants and have he or she take you to one of his/her (It is our program policy for students/volunteers go-Dutch: each person pays his/her own)
• Enjoy the outdoors:
  • Campus recreation (http://www.crs.umd.edu/cms/OutdoorRecreation/ResourcesandLinks.aspx)
• Bowling at the Stamp Union
• International Coffee Hour
• University events
• Playing or watching sports
• Picnicking on the quad
• Attending campus entertainment
• Playing games (board games, cards, etc.)





What if I cannot meet with my student?

If you know in advance that you cannot meet with your student, you need to:

• e-mail the ESOL conversation coordinator at least one week before your absence
• e-mail the other volunteers on the substitute list

If your absence is last minute, e-mail and call your student to let him or her know that you need to cancel that week's session. You may reschedule the missed session if it is convenient for you and your student.





Why is rescheduling only by phone discouraged?

Rescheduling sessions only by telephone may be difficult because some students have no telephone, live with others who speak little or no English, or just have difficulty understanding English over the phone. Consequently, messages regarding meetings may be misunderstood, garbled, or simply not passed on. All students/volunteers have e-mail accounts. Therefore, contact your volunteer/student(s) through e-mail if you need to reschedule the time and place. If you reschedule over the phone, please also make sure that you also send an e-mail to your student/volunteer for confirmation.





What if my student asks me grammar questions that I cannot answer?

Encourage your student to make an individual appointment with a learning specialist at the Learning Assistance Service. They can help your student with writing, grammar, note-taking, and other language and study skills.






Contacts/Other




Contact Information


ESOL Conversation Program Coordinator: Clare Cheng

umdesol@gmail.com

Office number 301-314-5919

Fax number: 301-314-9206

Office Location:
2202 Shoemaker Building
College Park, Maryland 20742

Expectations for the Program Coordinator:

The program coordinator's role is to help all participants involved in the conversation program meet their professional teaching and/or learning goals through the following:

• Shows awareness of and respect for individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences
• Shares information and resources that might be helpful to ESOL participants and volunteers with energy and enthusiasm
• Reads and responds to ESOL Participants and volunteer's e-mail in a timely manner

Feedback

Our program endorses life-long learning for our faculty, staff, students and volunteers. Therefore, we are open to new ideas and suggestions for our program. You can give feedback by providing us with your suggestions, comments, and concerns in the following ways:

• e-mail or call the program coordinator
• stop by the office during the walk-in hours or schedule an appointment
• fill out mid-semester evaluation and end-of-the-year evaluation surveys
• leave an anonymous comment by clicking here (ongoing suggestion/comment link)

Program Policies

• Giving/Receiving Gifts
  We do not encourage students to give volunteers gifts, treat them to dinners, or buy them coffee etc. However, in order to take our students' cultural backgrounds and customs into considerations, we can only require our students not to give the volunteer anything that is more than $10 in value (for the whole semester). Please do not give/receive cash, checks as gifts.



• Well-being/Safety
  
  • Conversation Partners are recommended to meet at a public place and preferably on campus unless you are going to visit a museum or a restaurant.
  • If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, please contact the program coordinator as soon as possible. The well-being and safety of our students and volunteers is our priority. Many cultures, including American culture, value personal space highly.

Other useful websites:

Program related Websites

• University of Maryland ESOL Conversation Program Facebook Page
  
  Check out our Facebook page for more websites, links to resources and most updated information about our program! Additional information and updates will be posted on our program's Facebook page.



• Schedule an appointment or take attendance for Learning Assistance Service
  
  How to take attendance using TutorTrac:
  
  • Tutorial (video clip) on how to take attendance online
  • Screen shots on how to take attendance
  • Conversation Partner Attendance Log
  • Conversation Group Attendance Log

Resources for Volunteers and Students

• About.com Teaching Resources
• Conversation Questions by Topics
• Mini-Lesson Plans, games, ideas and more
• Common expressions in conversations
• Site with grammar tips

For more tips and session guidelines, please visit our program Facebook webpage and join our Facebook Group.

Newsletter

ESOL Newsletters

• Spring 2010


• Spring 2011


• Fall 2011