Share Paper: Creating Connections for International Students on College Campus: Languages Other Than English Conversation Tables

  1. Janet Eckerson, University of Nebraska Kearney, United States
  2. Christopher Jacobs, University of Nebraska Kearney, United States
  3. Dawn Mollenkopf, University of Nebraska Kearney, United States
  4. Ladan Ghazi Saidi, University of Nebraska Kearney, United States
Tuesday, November 1 11:45 AM-12:00 PM Room 1

Abstract: International students, especially those studying in English Language Institutes at US universities, often struggle to create connections with local students and the host community. This paper describes a creative intervention to increase campus engagement for international students that simultaneously provided an opportunity for local students to exchange cultures and life experiences while learning and practicing a language other than English (LOTE). Weekly Non-English conversation tables led by international students at a mid-sized rural university created meaningful connections, which promoted student engagement. These connections fostered self-growth and intercultural competence in both international and local students, some of whom with very limited ...