Gale_CP#2

Gale Workman

CP#2

Sept. 4, 2014, 8 a.m.

Hecht House

Sorelwing (Sore) from Venezuela and Jihun from Korea were assigned as my Conversation Partners. I met them together, and it was a challenging chat for all of us.

Sore has been speaking/studying English for one month -- only since arriving in Tallahassee. She had no English training in school. She lives in an apartment with three roommates: two from Puerto Rico and one from Tallahassee. They speak Spanish among themselves. Sore's English speaking and listening skills are fledging, at best.

Jihun studied English for 12 years in Korea, but he said it was mostly reading and writing. He wants to improve his speaking and listening. In Tallahassee, Jihun stays in the home of his brother-in-law (whose wife is now in Korea for work) and two cousins who are in middle school. He also has cousin in Miami, whom Jihun will visit at Thanksgiving. He speaks English at home.

The mention of Thanksgiving allowed me to steer the conversation to fall festivals in Korea, Chuseok, and in Venezuela, Day of the Dead. I asked what foods were served to celebrate these holidays. We used Google Image to locate pictures and practice the vocabulary of the U.S. Thanksgiving dinner.

Jihun said he ate turkey on a sandwich at CIES. Yes, it tasted like chicken, which he eats regularly; however, he said, the turkey was dry. I agreed and used Google Image to explain that the turkey on his sandwich was sliced or carved from the breast of the turkey, which is not as moist as the drumstick. Sore said she liked the "leg." I agreed and we had fun discussing the vocabulary of eating turkey. They seemed to enjoy saying "drumstick."