Conversation Partners driving valuable discussions
By Lin Lofley
The food court on the North Campus of UT Southwestern Medical Center buzzes with conversation. But at one table, it’s a conversation with a clear purpose.
“I’ve had four or five conversation partners since I joined the English Conversation Partners Program in in the Spring of 2013,” said Ms. Sowels, who’s been at UT Southwestern nine years and now assists Hematology/Oncology staff members. “We just sit and talk about anything that’s on the minds of people who come to the table.”
She was having lunch recently with Dr. Weina Jiang, a native of northeastern China, who has been at the medical center since 2012, working for Dr. Dean Sherry, Director of the Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC), and Professor of Radiology.
Dr. Jiang and Ms. Sowels became conversation partners in 2013 and, while not officially connected, they’ve kept the conversation going.
“I like it here, a lot, because people are so friendly and they help me practice my English,” Dr. Jiang said. “My colleagues in the AIRC are extremely helpful, and Lisa and the members of our group have taught each other many things.”
Dr. Jiang brought lingonberries – a sort of Scandinavian blackberry – and a persimmon, and everyone at the table dug into what, for Americans, is an unusual snack.
The open conversation can range far and wide. Dr. Jiang, a voracious reader of American media outlets, recently was curious about why a pastor in Florida was arrested for feeding homeless people. Another time she asked what, exactly, is a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich? And she’s curious about new forms of greeting she hears. “I read to improve my vocabulary,” she said, “and when I have a question about a word or how to use it, Lisa always helps me.”
Ms. Sowels, evoking laughter, remembered a memorable query. “Weina asked me recently, What does ‘What’s up’ mean? We were walking to our table, and I saw some people I knew and that’s what I said to them. She asked me what that means, and I really had to stop and think about it so I could explain.”
They also share each other’s happiness and successes. Dr. Jiang recently earned her driver’s license, which evoked joy at the conversation table, and no small amount of merriment. And Dr. Jiang recently married Dr. Xiaodong Yang, a Research Associate in Molecular Biology who’s from a different region of China. The couple met at UT Southwestern.
“Teresa Macnee, our ESL Training Specialist, developed this program based on her observation that many international visitors just need to practice their spoken English face to face with a native speaker,” said Maggie Pinson, Director of the Office of International Affairs.
“The program has been a huge success, and it’s poised to grow if we are able to recruit additional U.S. participants. Right now we have about 50 pairs of English speakers and international visitors. Not surprisingly, we have a lot of international visitors waiting to be matched.”
Information on the program is available from Ms. Pinson and her team, as well as by calling the Office of International Affairs at 214-648-0010.
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Dr. Sherry holds the Cecil & Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology at UT Dallas.
