Conversation Partners Program
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Hey U of I students and Members of the Urbana Champaign Community! Would you like to meet new people and learn about other countries and cultures? Would you like to help international students practice their English and learn about American culture first hand? If you answered “yes” to these questions, why not consider volunteering to be a conversation partner for students in the University of Illinois Intensive English Institute? Our students are attending the IEI to improve their English for personal reasons or to prepare to study at a US university and they really want to meet Americans. |
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| Conversation Partners at the IEI Welcome Picnic |
What are the expectations?
- Meet with your “conversation partners” (two or three IEI students) all together for at least one hour each week, preferably at the same time and place.
- Report to the IEI Conversation Partner Coordinator (convopartners@ad.uiuc.edu ) about your meeting each week.
- Attend some of the all-IEI social activities. These events are, of course, optional, but the students love it when their Conversation Partners can attend.
WE NEED YOU!
Every semester, and during the summer, new students enroll in our program and ask to be matched with American Conversation Partners. Each semester we need from 80-100 Conversation Partners. Remember, we are only asking for 1 hour of your time each week to meet with the students. Of course, if you are interested in meeting with the students occasionally for other activities as well, your Conversation Partners would be very happy to do so. In exchange for that, you’ll make new friends and experience the world from another perspective.
You can become a volunteer for the Conversation Partners Program by completing this online form. As soon as we find a match for you (usually during the first week of the semester), we’ll let you know how to contact your new conversation partners. Thanks!
For more information call or email the IEI at: 333-6598 or convopartners@ad.uiuc.edu