Stephanie CP #4

Friday I attended an FSU diving meet with my conversation partner Ghunaim. I brought some of my friends from circus along so he could get a more genuine American cultural experience. I wanted them there to broaden the conversation topics and to expose him to more new ideas in a less controlled learning environment. Having other Americans there made me realize just how much I adjusted my speech for him during our first meeting, and how much everyday American conversation uses colloquialisms that aren’t taught in English classes. It definitely was a culture shock for him and I was afraid he felt alienated by not being able to understand slang and other informal speech, although he didn’t seem bothered by it. Next time we’re going to meet one on one again and I plan on doing the “describing your country and culture” activity with him. It seems like a great way for both of us to learn about each other's culture!