Week #2

At this point I've had two meetings with my group (Which I absolutely love, they're all such fun and interesting people) and they both went extremely well with only a couple minor issues that were relatively easy to resolve.

On the day of our first meeting, I went to the Biggby on Liberty street-the place we'd agreed to meet-only to find out it had closed down a couple months earlier (I'd never have imagined a coffee shop could run out of business in a college town, but I guess anything's possible.) My phone had broken the day prior, and the only electronic device I had on me at the time was my iPod, which needs Internet to do anything of worth. So I frantically ran into the Sweetwaters across the street and stole their Wifi to send a mass email instructing my group to meet me there instead; it was about 10 minutes before our scheduled meeting, though, and I worried my group wouldn't receive my message in time. 

I eventually managed to wrangle everyone up after loitering outside of the empty building formerly known as Biggby's and approaching every confused-looking person I saw walking down the street in my direction, so fortunately the catastrophe was limited to only taking up a couple minutes of our scheduled time. We went to the nearby Ben & Jerry's and proceeded to have a lively conversation in which most of the members were well engaged, which is more than I could have hoped for for a first meeting. Every member of my group brings a different perspective to the table, but being that 4 out of the 5 are from China and one is from Korea, they also tend to have a lot in common. 

During our second discussion the following week, I only had three group members (One didn't show and one had emailed me to say that she had too much homework that night to make it) but our conversation flowed endlessly. One of my members is really enthusiastic and talkative and, since I also have these characteristics, our combined energy encouraged the other quieter members to speak up. I've found that both times the hour has flown by, and we often go over our "time limit," a sure sign of a good conversation group. 

I'm so excited to become friends with these people! They all have so much to offer and have so far been pretty open with me in terms of what they want from the group and from being in this country in general. Using a second language always presents a slew of problems and confusion to a speaker, and being able to provide advice for these new friends is an opportunity I consider myself really lucky to have. Sharing our cross-cultural experiences and interests has proven to be quite fulfilling so far, and I'm excited to see where these next few weeks take us. 

Although I already have one consistent no-show member whose never come to a meeting and one who dipped out of the last one without letting me know, I think that it's really important to focus on the positive and the people who appreciate the time and effort we're putting into this program. If we do that, I think we're all bound to create some really unique lasting friendships. 

Blog #2

            I think I took a lot away from hearing Angelo and Carson’s advice as well as from reading the “Survey Results” handout they gave to us.  At the same time, though, some of the issues raised in both the talk and the reading made me feel more anxious about whether my idea of what a Chat Café should be is different from my group’s.  In particular, I am nervous that my attempts to be more of a peer than a teacher and to have a freely flowing conversation rather than a strictly planned activity don’t conform to my group’s expectations. 

            As I read the survey results, I noticed that many students seemed to prefer a more structured topic or a planned activity to a natural conversation.  Both times I have met with my group, I came with a prepared list of conversation topics and an “emergency” deck of cards, but I haven’t had to use any of them.  My group and I sat outside and chatted about majors and dining hall food and differences between their home countries and the United States.  I enjoyed these casual conversations because they felt more like talking to a group of friends than a classroom.  Yet many former participants wrote in their surveys that “follow[ing] a topic each week would be better.  Otherwise [they] don’t really know what to talk about.”  Some of them suggested that the facilitator email the topic to the group beforehand so that everyone could prepare to talk about it beforehand.  I think this sounds a lot more like something a teacher would do and I’m also a bit concerned that people might not feel inclined to come if they aren’t particularly interested in the topic I’ve chosen.   One person said that taking attendance is a good idea so that people feel obligated to be there, and while I am definitely having trouble with attendance, I’m also not sure I want anyone to feel obligated to be there.  Other students wrote that the facilitator “should be a teacher, not just a listener.”  This confused me because we have spent a lot of time in class talking about how we shouldn’t be acting like a teacher.  I’m also a firm believer in the notion that the best way to get better at speaking a language is simply by speaking it.  I don’t think that correcting every grammatical mistake will help them as much as creating a space where everyone feels comfortable talking will.  At the same time, though, I don’t want to disappoint anyone who joined because they were looking for a structured environment where someone would correct their mistakes. 

            Another person said that they felt that ending exactly at the designated time made it seem like the facilitator didn’t want to be there, but I know that some of the kids in my group have class and meetings immediately after our Chat Café.  I’m not really sure how to deal with this, because I can see how it might seem rude to end exactly at 5:00, but it might also be rude to keep people from their next activity.

            All this is a lot to think about, but I am confident we will all find our own ways to respond to these conflicting pieces of advice and make our groups our own.  I think one of the best ways to do this might be to send out a survey asking people what they are expecting from this experience so that they can answer in a private and honest way.  All in all, I’ve really enjoyed these first two meetings and I’m looking forward to the rest of the semester!

Blog Post #2

I am happy to say that my second conversation circle went much more smoothly than my first! I did not anticipate having such a quiet group for my first session, and I was quite unprepared in terms of discussion topics, as I had hoped that we would naturally have enough to talk about. However, after the very helpful meeting with Carson and Angelo, I learned that I definitely needed to prepare more on my part, and that I should focus on giving them specific tasks to do, instead of just speaking.

In order to prepare, I organized our session into 3 sections: an icebreaker, discussion questions about cultural differences (holidays, foods, familial norms, etc.), and a game (Apples to Apples). At the session, 4 of the 6 members came (one had previously informed me of a time conflict, while I did not hear from the other). One of these 4 was new, as he could not attend the session last week. Thankfully, while our new member seemed to be more of a beginner with English, he was also quite talkative! He was able to introduce himself and meet some of the other members. Then, we did an Icebreaker activity called "Roses and Thorns," where each member tells the best thing that happened to them that week (the rose), and one bad thing that happened (the thorn). They seemed to enjoy this, and it gave everyone a chance to speak.

Then, instead of doing the discussion questions, I thought we should play Apples to Apples to make sure we have enough time. While I think that they enjoyed the game, it also seemed a bit difficult for some of them because they were unfamiliar with many of the terms. Nonetheless, I think they learned a lot by playing the game.

Next week, I hope we can have more discussion time, to simply talk about different topics. I think that a "genuine" conversation flows more naturally, and provides a comfortable and encouraging atmosphere for everyone to share their ideas with the group. In order to allow for such a space, I hope to make sure that we are all learning from each other, that every member gets a chance to participate, and that we are talking about relevant and important topics.

Blog Post #2: Communication really is key...

My first Chat Cafe meeting was game-changing in my eyes. I began the session with one goal in mind: to make these students feel as if this session was truly "theirs". I think that social dilemmas often stem from feelings of being on the outside looking in. My inclusive efforts are an attempt to disuade fears of rejection and trouble communicating. I want my fellow students to view our meetings as a time to catch up with friends who accept them wholeheartedly.

In retrospect, for some reason I was not expecting much shyness from the group. I figured that students who are willing to engage in weekly conversation with peers must be the talkative type. However, to my surprise, conversation was led by me and questions were simply answered by my group. This was not what I wanted. I had wished for the English conversation to build as I slowly became a less prominent member of the group. I wanted the students to take over. I quickly came to the conclusion that I was not going to see such an occurrence in this group because I was forgetting a crucial component to "genuine" conversation. A conversation can only be truly meaningful if those involved are evidently interested in the topic and one party can offer information regarding the issue. Without interest, a conversation falls apart. As I went around the circle of students asking them to introduce themselves and talk about why they were here, I noticed some members staring off into space. I knew what I needed to do. An effective conversation must tap into a person's mind, so I was glad I planned ahead. They really did need me.

Before our first session, I had asked each member to email me a topic or interest that they would like to discuss at future sessions. I know that passion can drive the most powerful conversations, so this is why I asked them for their input. I only got a few replies but I cherished the fact that some were eager to engage in conversation. One student had asked me to talk about greetings and making friends in the United States. This student's email struck me, as I realized how often we overlook the cultural elements in an everyday "Hey, what's up?" or a hug you give to your friend but not your lab partner with whom you spend 4 hours a week. As our conversation moved from generic to crucial issues that these students all dealt with, I noticed ears perk up and increased participation among everyone. People want to talk about themselves, about what is useful, and about what the want to know. I want my conversation group to be that outlet where my fellow students can talk to me for a fresh new perspective and find comfort in the fact that they are definitely not alone with their concerns. I have high hopes for next week.

First Meeting: Reese's PB Cups & More!

I don't think I can start this post off with anything other than the following points:

• I loved meeting my conversation circle participants,
• I loved how amazingly engaged they were,
• And, I loved our conversation!

I have to admit that after reading the blog posts from last semester's facilitators and hearing from fellow classmates on how their first meetings went, I was SUPER nervous on my way to meet with my group. But, all of my nerves went away once all six of my group members showed up! We met outside of the UGLi and then found a place on the lawn of the Diag to sit and talk. We did a quick round of "meet and greets" - name, year, major, hometown - and then I had a small icebreaker prepared. Everyone randomly picked a question, such as "What is your favorite food? How do you make it?" and then we paired up and talked for a few minutes about the question we selected with our partner. Afterwards, we shared out to the group. I was afraid it would seem too "teacher-like," but it actually went over very well! Some of our main topics that we talked about included the Mid-Autumn Festival (which was celebrated this past weekend), how nobody except me has had the glory that is a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (it's in my plan to bring them one week for everyone to try), and everyone's highs/lows of the day.

After this long discussion (thankfully, I have a very chatty group), I then asked them how they wanted Chat Cafe to go each week. We talked about a lot of things here, but two of the major things I took away from this part of the conversation was that they wanted a relaxed atmosphere (i.e., an environment that they feel comfortable enough to talk about anything in - not a classroom) and a potluck at some point during the semester! I was especially excited about the potluck idea, because this hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility. We closed out our conversation with an activity called "Wishes". I learned it from my theatre troupe, and it sounds a little cheesy, but basically, everyone in the circle goes around and says a wish they have for themselves and/or the group (e.g., I wish everyone has a great weekend). Like I said, it sounds cheesy, but it leaves everyone with a nice feeling at the end.

People stayed back to exchange phone numbers, and I offered to compile a contact list for everyone with talks of a potential GroupMe to be made. I left in disbelief that the hour had gone so quickly, and I wished we had more time. Good thing we meet once a week! My only small, little, itty bitty concern is that I have a postdoc fellow in my group, so she is considerably older than the other participants. I talked with her about it at the end of the circle, and she said she really wants to improve her English and was happy to be there. I hope she, as well as everyone else, continues to come each week. 

I know there will likely be challenges down the road once the semester gets busier, but for now, I'm taking the time to be overjoyed. Here's to the continuation of a terrific conversation circle!

Football, Jersey Shore and Community Service, oh my! (Blog Post 2)

After spending the weekend imploring friends to explain football to me and then spending hours sifting through youtube's generally unhelpful 'football for dummies' videos, I made my way to my second chat cafe meeting.
The first week had gone amazingly well and I was excited to see my group again. At the end of the last meeting I had asked if there were any topics they had wanted to talk about in particular and one of them was the rules of American Football. So there we were, the five of us circled around a table in the East Quad cafe with a rudimentary drawing of a football field in front of us, and me, explaining a game I only had the slightest handle on. I was pleased how engaged and genuinely interested they seemed with the topic, asking many questions, some of which I suspect I may have answered incorrectly. (How many point do you receive for a field goal? My group and I may never know for sure.)
From there we went on to talk about reality television (they were all very interested in the premise of Jersey Shore), Northern Michigan and whether there was a difference between Community Service and Volunteering in the English. (The jury is still out on that one.) We had one new member, one member who came last week but couldn't this week and one illusive member who remains at large, yet to be seen. Our new member was a grad student who had just come to the United States one year ago. His grasp on English was a little below the other girls, but it didn't stop him from participating and a few times when he didn't understand something another girl acted as a translator for him. I thought this was really nice and helpful of her, and he seemed to really appreciate it! For the most part he was fine, but I think some new vocabulary was learned, like chainsaw and massacre (yes, we were talking about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie...)
There wasn't only new vocab for him but for several group members during our conversation. The sheet of paper that I had been diagramming football on became a place where they were asking me to write out certain words they hadn't hear of or wanted spelled. At the end one of the girls took the sheet with her and another took a picture of it. I think that it was really helpful and I think I might always keep a sheet out now because it seemed to be really helpful!
We've decided next week to meet at Noodles and Company since our meeting time is close to dinner. So far the group is going really well and we are able to sustain conversation well enough by our selves that I'm not sure I'll even plan a topic for next week! I'm sure being at a restaurant will be enough to get us started.

Blog Post #2

It was a pleasure having Carson and Angelo from ELI attend our last class. The most important thing that I learned was to focus on content, not form. The entire facilitation session does not need to be structured in a certain way; it is okay to let things flow based on group dynamics. They advised us to do our best in engaging our students and having them naturally converse in dialogue. Some tips they gave that I found helpful were to have the students play games, discuss what they are passionate about, and break them into smaller groups to allow for a more comfortable atmosphere.

A “genuine” conversation is one that is natural and not forced. It is when people just talk and don’t need to try to build a connection but rather can do it by just being themselves. I hope to work towards having these genuine conversations with my students and allowing them to be free with me. I try to be open-minded and easy going in order to ease them into dialogue and discuss what is important to them. If students speak about what they love, it is easier to connect and relate to them in a more honest manner. Having them speak about such passions and interests is a good way to foster genuine conversations with my group.