Abby Derkson/Winonan

Conversation Partners presented an opportunity for students to bridge the distance between their cultures through food and, as the name would suggest, conversation.

The Winona State University English Language Center recently hosted the event to help international students improve their English speaking skills and experience American culture. It also allows American students to experience the cultures of international students.

At Conversation Partners, international students cooked dishes from their home countries to serve to fellow students and the community. This event included foods from Saudi Arabia and South Korea, such as burgogi, a Korean barbequed beef, and béchamel, a Saudi Arabian mixture of pasta and chicken with various spices.

While different foods and activities are provided each year, one thing about Conversation Partners does not change: coming together and experiencing a new culture.

At Conversation Partners, students not only tried other foods but also interacted with one another, playing games or simply conversing. This fun, social atmosphere, international student Sunday Zhang said, was what made Conversation Partners so important.

“A lot of people are shy in speaking. Sometimes they can listen but don’t know how to speak,” Zhang said.

Speaking the language is the hardest part of studying abroad for many international students. Nouf Ahmed, a student from Saudi Arabia, said Conversation Partners makes it a little easier.

“The programs are helpful to make friends and practice how to speak,” Ahmed said. Fellow student Zaineb AlHussain agreed.

“Here people are friendly and always smiling,” AlHussain said. “American culture is a good experience for me.”

Tammy Brians, activity coordinator for the English Language Center, said interaction was the point of the whole event.

“The goal is to bring students together in the community to build bridges and friendships,” Brians said. “The individual relationships built during Conversation Partners are what is important.”

Joe W. Reed is an instructor in the Conversation Partners program. Conversation Partners, he said, was also an opportunity for American students to see if they enjoy conversing with international students. The willingness and enjoyment, Reed said, was essential to the conversation.

“Many Americans don’t have patience to talk to people whose English is not very good,” Reed said. “We want students interacting with people who want to interact with them.”

Contact Abby at [email protected]