The Conversation Partners program offers international
students at Kent State University the opportunity to
practice English by matching them with native English
speakers within the Kent State community.

Imagine sitting down for a cup of coffee, starting a conversation and walking away with knowledge of a variety of cultures.

This is possible through Conversation Partners, a program geared toward international students. Anuttra Promnart, program coordinator for Conversation Partners, says the purpose of the program is to match international students with the Kent community so that international students can practice English.

“I match one domestic student to a group of international students in the program,” Promnart says. “It’s helpful because a lot of times when international students learn English in their country, it is for academic purposes and not the conversation used in everyday life.”

Currently, 115 international students and 35 domestic students participate in the program. Promnart says she feels the Conversation Partners program offers mutual advantages for both international and domestic students.

“International students obviously benefit from practicing their English, and some domestic students who are interested in culture also benefit,” Promnart explains. “It’s a chance for them to learn something new and build long-term relationships with people from these countries.”

When matching students, Promnart makes an effort to form groups of students from a mixture of countries. This is so that international students don’t fall into speaking their own language and can get the most from the program.

Chinese, Japanese and Saudi Arabian students are among those that participate most in the program. As for domestic students, undergraduate students are most involved.

Maureen Blankemeyer, Ph.D., associate professor of human development and family studies in the School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences in Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, is one professor who uses Conversation Partners as part of her class curriculum. Her hope is that the program will build students’ cultural awareness.

“My hope is that it will help students become more culturally competent and open to other ways of doing things,” Blankemeyer says. “I also believe it helps my students reflect on their own values, beliefs and behaviors.”

Blankemeyer says she would recommend any professor use Conversation Partners as part of their curriculum for both personal and professional development.

“In my opinion, any class could benefit from having Conversation Partners in the curriculum,” Blankemeyer says. “With our increasingly global society, it is important for all of us — not only in our job, but in our personal life — to be able to effectively and appropriately interact with individuals from other countries.”

For more information about the Conversation Partners program or to get involved, contact Promnart at apromnar@kent.edu.

For more information about Kent State’s Office of Global Education, visit www.kent.edu/globaleducation.