Tara Payne Daily Staff Writer A program that has been in effect at Iowa State for more than 20 years is bridging cultural gaps and giving students a better world perspective. The Conversational English Program is a part of International Education Services. It matches international students with American volunteers to share information and to better understand one another. Liu said the program has stayed in effect for so long because of participant feedback.
Participants meet for one hour each week at a place and time they decide.
To complete the program, they have to have 14 to 16 hours of contact time, and they have to keep a journal of their discussions. The program has about 70 people involved right now, but program officials expect to have more sign up before the semester is over. Most of the American participants are students from ISU, but other people can get involved. Professors and retired Ames residents also have participated in the Conversational English Program. The program also matches students who are in cross-cultural classes such as sociology and international communications for class projects.