Conversations that could have been

A prominent assignment of Literature and Civilizations II is meeting with a "conversation partner," an Intensive English student from a foreign country, in order to help them with their English and to help us learn about a culture that differs from our own. I was skeptical when this assignment was first introduced, but the more I thought about it, the more interesting it sounded. Talking with someone you probably never would meet otherwise, from a place you've likely never been to and culture you've likely never encountered, could be a great and unique learning experience.

I was paired with someone from Saudi Arabia for this "Community Engagement" project. This excited me. I had basically never even thought about what Saudi Arabia and its culture might be like. I looked forward to asking what daily life was like in the country. I looked forward to finding out what their school system was like, what they liked to do for fun, what their favorite foods were. I looked forward to engaging with someone from a country that, I'm assuming, I will never get the opportunity to visit and learning what his life was like.

I also was excited to share my own thoughts about American culture with him. I wanted to help him learn anything that he wanted to know about the United States and its culture. Being immersed in the culture for several months, I'm not sure how many or what kind of questions he might have about the society that surrounded him, but I wanted to do anything I could to shed some light on the place we call home.

Unfortunately, I never got those opportunities. Though we both tried, my conversation partner and I were never able to meet up. Plans fell through, miscommunications occurred, the general busyness of life got in the way. Before I knew it, it was the last week of the semester, the Intensive English Program was having finals, and the program's students were preparing to return home. Any chance I had of meeting my partner had blown by in the whirlwind of the semester.

I am sad about this. I truly was anticipating our meetings, a chance to learn and to perhaps make a new friend. Even if we had been able to meet just once, there's so much that could have been discovered. I've consistently heard how much my classmates have enjoyed their conversation partner experiences, and I wish that I could share in their elation.

I do not know if I will ever get an opportunity like this again. If I do, though, I hope to put forth an even greater effort to engage with a partner and expand my horizons.