Recently, we got together with Mr. Oscar Perez, and we joined the efforts to invite ESL students to the University’s Library for a conversation. The initiative of “Conversational Hour in the Library” is a continuation of efforts to bring diversity population to the Library to learn and study, and for recreational purpose.
In today’s world, we are talking all the time. We text and post, and chat. Some people, even begin to feel more home in the world of our screens. We enthusiastically send an electronic message or mail than bind to a face-to-face meeting or a telephone call.
The media life is trouble. A face-to-face conversation, as French people say, tete-a-tete, is the most human – and humanizing – thing we do. In conversation, we fully present, we learn to listen to each other.
So we invited the ESL student to the field trip to the Library. We have books; and we have room to talk about life, to talk about ourselves, our families, our plans for a better future. No secret, with improving and practicing conversational oral communication outside the classroom the oratory rhetoric skills development improves, the same as reading skills improve our ability to write. We also need time to make a trip to the Library to discover the world of new possibilities.
In the modern time, many students are non-traditional – keep a job to pay the bills, family oriented; and only have time to get to class and go back to the everyday life – these students do not have time and willingness to participate in the outreach programs. Some ESL students are shy to speak out loud because of the cultural background or because English is a second language. Other students, think that they passed the time to make new friendships.
In a perspective long-run, the “Conversational Hour in the Library” will help to direct students to obtain the University graduation to celebrate with family and friends the important milestone in personal life. In an old-fashion traditional conversation: people don’t just speak, they also listen and learn, obtain new information to confirm a future career choice to shape the better future for perspective students in various educational programs that offered by Florida National University.
The goal is that students can come and get help, our staff knows how to help our students with homework. We have thousands of books to read a story in English and Spanish languages. We are offering many different services; and hopefully, this will not be the last trip to the University Library.
For example, yesterday, came a student to the Library, close to the closing time. She asked to help her to print out a color picture of Maya Angelou, the beloved Afric0-American poet. She shared that her son has a school project related to Black History Month. After a long working day, the young lady was taking care of her business with confidence that at the University’s Library she can use both Resources and Services.
Many time, not knowing, brings people in trouble at home, at work, and in public life. There is an expression to” cure of talking.” Scientists today believe that health care professional are our heroes saving people lives, and an open conversation is a talking cure. Reclaiming a conversation begins with acknowledgement that speaking and listening with attention are skills. This takes practice and that practice can start now, outside the classroom with a trip to the Library to discover a new world of new possibilities.
Ida Tomshinsky, Library Director
itomshinsky@fnu.edu
