ESOL Conversation Program

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Ziwei's Conversation Group
Hyunjong, Ziwei, Mengying, Qing and Yongdan

General Information

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.

Video Clip on Our Program.

Services

Note: 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

Conversation sessions for Fall 2012 start the week of September 24, 2012 and end the week of November 26, 2012.

Proficiency Levels More detailed explanation will be given at the registration session. For specific definition of the proficiency level, please click on the Proficiency Guideline.

Transportation

Parking 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).

Parking permits for program volunteers may be granted through DOT but are not guaranteed.

*Shuttle bus letters are no longer distributed for ESOL participants. ESOL participants who wish to ride Shuttle UM should use their UID card or buy a semester pass from DOT. For more information on transportation, please go to Regulations under Shuttle UM on Department of Transportation's website

ESOL Participants

Carrie Lebaron's Conversation Group
Feng, Alex, Zhiwei, Carrie, Juan Li (left to right)

"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

Interested in Practicing English and Learning about different Cultures?

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.
2. Come to the in-person registration session.
3. Sign up for conversation session(s) online on Tutor Trac
Wait for e-mail confirmation from the program coordinator.

More information will be given at the registration sessions:

Who can join the ESOL Program as volunteers?
Anyone who can speak English fluently can join the ESOL Conversation Program as volunteers. The volunteers do not have to be native speakers of English and do not need to have prior teaching experience. However, the volunteer must attend the Registration and Training session and other mandatory training workshops. Program coordinator will provide tips and guidelines on how to help ESOL participants to meet their learning goals and language needs.

What do the volunteers have to do?
The volunteers can facilitate conversation sessions to help international students, visiting scholars and community members to practice their oral communication skills. Each volunteer can determine the direction and flow of the conversation sessions. Suggestive session guidelines provide conversations around topics such as world cultures (including American cultures), values, beliefs, histories, global current events and more.

Where do we meet each week?
Conversation Partners can meet anywhere on campus in a public place. Some good places to go are Stamp, cafes on campus, and the libraries. Volunteers can request to have a classroom on campus to meet with their conversation partners. Volunteers should indicate so to the program coordinator at the registration session.
Conversation Group members will be assigned a classroom on campus. Unless pre-arranged with the students and the program coordinator, the groups should meet in the classroom weekly. Program coordinator will stop by conversation groups in order to observe and get to know the students and volunteers on a deeper level.

When do we meet each week?
The schedules for the conversation sessions are relatively flexible. Volunteers can choose time frame that are convenient for their schedule. Volunteers are asked to indicate several available time slots so that more students would be likely to be available for their sessions. The time frame for the start time of the sessions should be Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. /8 p.m. at the latest (7:30 p.m. for Conversation Groups and 8 p.m. for Conversation Partners. No groups should end after 9 p.m.

Why is it good for me to join?
This is a great way to meet people from other cultures, fields of studies while practice your leadership and teaching skills. In addition, you also learn about other cultures and ideas through joining the program. You may also request the program coordinator to observe you and write a recommendation letter for you.

How to join:

1. Fill out the Volunteer Pre-registration Form for Fall 2012.
2. Come to the in-person Registration and Training session.
3. Make your availabilities for the semester at the session on Tutor Trac home page.
Wait for e-mail confirmation from the program coordinator.

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: