ESL Conversation Café at New Brunswick Public Library Helps Improve English Skills While Promoting Diversity
New Brunswick N.J. — Free English conversation practices for community members with different levels of English proficiency are held every Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the New Brunswick Free Public Library, located at 60 Livingston Ave.
The program, called ESL Conversation Café, is an informal conversation group that gives participants the opportunity to improve their English skills through practical activities such as one-to-one or small group discussions with English speakers about a variety of topics according to their needs.
ESL Conversation Café sessions welcome all levels of English speakers over the age of 18 and participants may receive a certificate of attendance by attending most of the sessions.
The program runs from Sept. 23 to Dec. 2.
Kavita Pandey, the general librarian, said that these educational activities are important in the community because they foster an intercultural understanding among members while they adapt to a new culture and improve their English abilities.
“New Brunswick Public Library is always promoting diversity,” she said.
English conversation facilitators are prepared to conduct intercultural conversations through a course offered at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers.
Daniel Lima, AmeriCorps literacy leader who also leads Spanish conversation practices on Mondays, said that students take a specific course where they learn about ESL and then put their knowledge into practice by teaching in the community.
“Students take first a class where they learn about theory and discuss ESL and then come here and teach community members as part of their program requirements,” Lima said.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, participants of the ESL Conversation Café, had a special game day where they enjoyed Pictionary and learned new vocabulary. Also, they had a discussion about their favorite traditions, celebrations and multicultural experiences.
Rutgers Students who serve as conversation facilitators expressed their insights about the program. Luke Heyer, a student who is part of this fall’s program, said that he sometimes finds it hard to teach people with different proficiency in English.
“It was a challenge especially the first time,” he said.
Alyssa Wunder, another student who is part of the program, said that she experienced the same struggles that Heyer mentioned but that at the end it is fun and she enjoys it.
“Helping people to understand simple English skills is sometimes hard but it makes me happy,” Wunder said.
This program is made possible through The Conversation Tree, a collaborative community-based language partnership between the Rutgers Graduate School of Education and The Collaborative Center for Community-Based Research and Service, and the New Brunswick Free Public Library.
For more information about this and other programs promoted by the New Brunswick Free Public Library, e-mail conversationcafes@gmail.com.
