Logan_CP#1

J Logan Matthews
CP#1
Sep 5, 2014 (4:30PM-7:30PM)
GME and Railroad Square

Right after my tutoring session I was supposed to meet my first conversation partner at the Center for Global Engagement or GME. I was unfamiliar with the regular activities GME has with ELLs so I did not know where to find my conversation partner. Luckily when I called from outside, Ibrahim could see me from the window. After our introductions and Ibrahim's closure with the English Conversation Club we found a quiter place to proceed into the conversation proper.

Ibrahim comes from Turkey to learn the required English for his international employer, for which he works for in a human resources capacity. I later found out that he and his wife are staying in Tallahassee on different contracts, he is on a 6 month appointment and she was on a 4 month appointment and has already returned to Turkey. Ibrahim has already completed two sessions at CIES and is working on his third and, I think, last. I tried asking him about his placement levels and I came away somewhat confused. He described his level as being level 8 and his group placement as number 3. To my knowledge there are only 4 levels at CIES, but I may have missed something. Ibrahim participates regularly in conversation opportunities at GME as well as the library conversation class.

We began our talk on subjects involving comparing education, transportation, and taxes in the US and Turkey. He communicated that Turkey does subsidize their College education when I explained the process of federal loans in the US. I wanted to talk about the layout of cities in Turkey because I like the idea of relinquishing my car for a while so I can exercise more and save. I explained how here in the US the layout of cities and lack of funding for public transportation often results in the necessity, not the choice, to drive a car. Ibrahim mentioned how despite the metro, ferry, and train systems in his country; some people still choose to drive. The purchase and taxes on vehicles are much higher there than in the US however.

After our beginning talks, we moved back into the cafe region of GME which was just beginning the international coffee hour. Ibrahim told me that it occurs every friday at five pm when I was confused from seeing seperate dates on fliers and the website. We began talking about Turkish delicacies like Turkish Coffe and kebabs. As more people shuffled into the cafe, we were eventually joined by some women studying in early childhood education. They were from China originally and had been in Tallahassee for a year so far. Their english was very good. When I mentioned at one point that I would like to learn Mandarin, one of them mentioned some classes in town which she helps teach, primarily for Chinese-Americans preserving their culture and for travelling. It would be good to get a jumpstart on Mandarin but for now I know I need to begin memorizing common vocabulary and phrases in Korean for my target country for teaching.

At a certain point the din of the crowd made speaking and listening too hard so I motioned for Ibrahim to come outside so I could suggest moving to the First Friday event at Railroad Square, which Ibrahim had not been to before. It took awhile to find Ibrahim's car, but it was only a short drive over which I was able to direct with left, right, and straight phrases. We were relatively early for the event so parking was still able to be found easily. Once we entered the park I tried to define and explain the events in English, like "anachronism," for the people in medieval period dress. The gnats were problematic as we walked slowly and Ibrahim seemed especially troubled by them. He mentioned that he was allergic at one point and had reactions to the common bug-sprays. I tried to motion and define how he could find small portable fans at the pharmacies as an alternative.

Neither of us were hungry, so we ducked into one of the Art galleries briefly but we both found it too hot from the cumulative body heat of the crowd. I tried to explain some of the artistic details of the exhibit like "projection" and "installation." We also spent a lot of time talking to Ibrahim's banker who was selling soaps at one table. All total we completed two laps around Railroad Square before deciding to retire. My parents were just arriving so I was able to introduce them briefly as we left. Next week I should be meeting Ibrahim at Pitaria for lunch. He says that their coffee is a decent approximation of the Turkish coffee from his homeland.