Using English Conversation Circles to Build Community and Skills
By: Asiya Le Jeune, Writing and Communication Advisor, Undergraduate Programs, STEM Specialist
The WCC English Conversation Circles have been around since 2011 and have been particularly helpful for those who want to practice their oral English skills. We have a long tradition of friendly, relaxed groups sharing their stories and learning about Canada. For example, when talking about Canada Day, while the participants asked the facilitators about foods Canadians like to eat for their holidays, they also shared what foods they liked to eat for holidays in their home countries.
The pandemic was, of course, challenging, but it helped us discover new ways that we could get together to talk and learn, while still maintaining a safe and respectful environment. Now that in-person sessions have become possible again, we decided to see what would happen if we offered both in-person and online sessions. We were pleased to find that both formats have been helpful for students, though not surprisingly, in-person sessions have been more popular! Nevertheless, the convenience and opportunities to speak afforded by a small, intimate online group were appreciated.
We have also tried experimenting with the topics of conversation. While we are keeping old favorites, such as fun day trips to do in and around Waterloo, students told us they were interested in learning about how to find work in Canada, and how to meet people here. We therefore did a class on job interview strategies and another on how to evaluate potential friends. These led to some quite wonderful moments! For instance, when talking about how to meet friends and potential romantic partners, one woman shared how she had met her best friend in Canada, and what she had liked about her. Just then, a late participant walked into the class, and the woman said: and this is my friend! The whole class was delighted!
In sum, the WCC's English Conversation Circles try to go beyond just learning about language and culture. We hope people can learn skills and strategies to help them in their daily life and we also hope folks can get to know each other, and perhaps even connect at a deeper level. After all, when you know how to deal with the challenges of life in Canada, and when you have friends and teachers who care about you, being in a foreign country (or a new home!) is just so much easier, isn’t it?