NCompass Live - March 29, 2017 http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/ Learn how Los Alamos County Library System put together a simple, cost-effective English conversation program for patrons who wanted to practice their English speaking skills. Conversation circles are not English classes: you don’t need ESL teachers, a registration system or a fancy curriculum. We’ll show you how we put it together, what worked, what still needs development and share resources so you can develop your own conversation circles program. Presenter: Elizabeth Rivera, Reference Librarian, Los Alamos County Libraries, Los Alamos, NM.

1. Conversation Circles
A simple program for your
ESL speaking patrons
Presented at
NCompass Live
March 29, 2017
Elizabeth M. Rivera
Los Alamos County
Library System

2. Hello!Elizabeth Rivera
Reference Librarian
Los Alamos County Library System

3. Big
A Japanese mother who brought her baby
in to all our baby programs requested a
program to help her practice English.
Hello!
こんにちは

4. New
Mexico
36%
National
20.8%
Nebraska
10.3%
Source: https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf

5. × Serving the underserved
× Supporting lifelong learning
× Building community

6. 1.
The PLanning
How we got started

7. × What is available in the community?
× How are other places doing this?
× What is our primary audience?

8. × Free ESL classes at UNM-
LA
× Free one on one tutoring
via Río Arriba Adult
Literacy Program

9. × Most places are using volunteers.
× The programs emphasize a relaxed
atmosphere.
× Little to no focus on grammar or other
technicalities , except for what’s necessary to
communicate.

10. × We committed to 45 min to 1 hr sessions once
a week.
× Prep time varies between 5 and 20 minutes.
× We wanted to use volunteers, but used staff
until we could train them.
× We used volunteers from our existing
volunteer pool.

11. × Ask volunteers to come observe /
participate first.
× Provide them with a volunteer
handbook.
Christa will be
posting a
copy!

12. × Keep it casual & friendly.
× Encourage equal participation.
× Have backup topics & ideas.
× Make sure they understand you & each other.
× Remember that intercultural communication
is more than just language.

13. × Primary caretaker for a small child or
infant, may care for older kids too
× May be in the United States only briefly
× Varying degrees of language proficiency
× Seeking both language development
and social connection

14. × Cross promotion strategy with other ESL programs and
youth service programs
× Used the baby time room, already set up with a “baby
corral”
× Planned sessions around the school calendar
× Flyers & handouts that clearly welcomed kids

15. Flyers &
Handouts

16. 2.
Things that worked
Let’s start with what went right.

17. × Choosing the right time
& place
× Targeted marketing
× Word of mouth

18. Acting on an anonymous phone call, the police raid a
house to arrest a suspect. They don't know what he looks
like but they know his name is John and that he is inside
the house. The police bust in on a carpenter, a truck
driver, a mechanic and a fireman playing cards. Without
hesitation or communication of any kind, they
immediately arrest the fireman. How did they know which
person to arrest?

19. At a restaurant you own,
you see a cook drop a
lamb chop on the floor,
pick it up, wash it, reheat it
and serve it on a plate.
Do you reprimand the
cook?

20. “Would you rather. . .?”
. . . be extremely hairy or completely
hairless?
. . . work hard at an interesting job or
relax at a boring job?
. . . be the best dancer in the world or the
best singer in the world?
WHY?

21. Get your partner to guess
the word:
PANDA
Without saying any of
these words:
× Bear
× Black & White
× China
× Bamboo
× Zoo

22. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-
whats-going-on-in-this-picture

23. × Food
× Places to visit in the area
× Health care
× What do you love about your country
of origin

24. × Native language fluency
in English
× Experienced with
intercultural
communication
× Empathy & humor

25. 3.
Things that Didn’t
work
Let’s look at what could have gone
better.

26. × Conversation Circles cannot
substitute formal learning and won’t
work for people who don’t have a
basic vocabulary.

27. × One morning we had about 14 people
at the session, plus babies.
× Our evening sessions consistently
had only 1 or 2 participants.

29. 4.
Our Results
How did we do?

30. Our
Library
Honduras
México
Chile
Colombia
China
Japan
Turkey
France
Bulgaria
Ecuador
Palau

31. 39Sessions for
FY 15-16 165Total
attendance
Sessions for FY 16-17 started September
13th with a core group of attendees from
last year.

32. 26Sessions for
FY 16-17
(So far. . .)
96Total
attendance

33. “This is a safe place
where we can
express our opinions”
“It helped me to know
that there are more
people like me and that
I don’t need to feel
embarrassed”
“It’s a social time for
us but it’s also a social
time for the kids- they
can make friends and
play”

35. THANKS!
You can email me at:
elizabeth.rivera@lacnm.us