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Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mailing Address
International Student Office
Gannon University
109 University Square
Box 3748
Erie, PA 16541-0001

Physical Location
Zurn Science Center
First Floor, Rooms 105-107
(100 block of 7th Street)

peterson031@gannon.edu
Phone: (814) 871-7030
or (814) 871-5356
Fax: (814) 871-5323

Dialing from outside the U.S.?
Add country code: 001

Learn about a language, a culture, a new perspective---one conversation at a time.

Purpose
The Conversation Partners Program pairs a native English speaker with a non-native English speaker for conversational English practice in order to enhance language skills acquisition and promote cultural exchange.

Participation
The program is open to all Gannon community members (faculty, staff, and students) and spouses.

Application and Preparation
Those interested in meeting with a conversation partner through the program may submit an application to the ISO. Applicants will be assigned a partner by email and will be linked to resources available for developing vocabulary and activities according to conversational themes.

Regular Meetings
Partners should contact one another and settle on a convenient time and location for a first meeting. Keeping in mind that some participants live off campus and have limited transportation, it is best to find a place on campus for initial contact and to choose places near campus or along a bus/shuttle route for subsequent meetings.

Making Progress
Partners participating as a course requirement or who plan to enter their hours on the Co-Curricular Transcript?CSC service hours should maintain a log with the time, date, and location of each meeting, as well as notes about the topic of conversation and any particular issues that should be addressed by University staff and faculty.

Application
Please fill out the application completely and submit via campus mail or email attachment.

Conversational Topics
http://iteslj.org/questions/

When it comes to casual conversation, there are topics that it may be prudent to avoid. Despite what the American media implies, many Americans find it uncomfortable to discuss finances, sexuality, and political or religious beliefs with people that they do not know well. Of course, those from non-American cultures will also seek to avoid certain topics. "Safe" subjects may include sports, entertainment, travel, local history, and headline news.

Many Americans have a genuine interest in learning about their own cultural heritage and about other cultures, as well, although it may be true that Americans are sometimes not as knowledgeable about world geography and history as others. It is a good idea to learn more about your own culture and that of your partner so that you can exchange information which may lead to common interests and a truly engaging conversation.

Assessing Your Own Cultural Awareness
http://www.culturecrossing.net/explore.php#

The site above is a great place to begin when considering how you express aspects of your own culture and your orientation to other cultures.