Conversation Partners: Special Edition! INTERLINK at ISU students visit the Assisted Living Home Bethesda Gardens
Retirees have time to spare, while our ESL students need some practice listening and speaking with native English speakers. So, we paired the two up for a Conversation Partners : Special Edition!
Resident Bill Dunn enjoyed his conversation with students from INTERLINK Language Center @ Indiana State University.
On June 9th, eleven INTERLINK Language Center students from the Indiana State University campus went to Bethesda Gardens in Terre Haute, Indiana, to converse with retirees.
The students shared freshly made cookies as well as their life stories with Bethesda residents. The residents were elated that international students wanted to hear about their lives. Some were educated on current events around the world, while others educated the students about life.
Resident Penny stated, “I had no idea about all the progress happening in Saudi Arabia. This intelligent young man (Mohammad Alkurbi) has taught me so much!”
Student Lucas Rodrigues found inspiration after talking with resident, Hope. “Her story was so moving. I will never forget her because she gave me hope in this world,” Rodrigues told the student group while leaving the facility.
Student Sanghee Kwong is interested in learning about retiree and assisted living homes. She asked many questions about the social impact the facility, and others like it, has on its residents. She compared the conditions in her home country of South Korea to what is available in the U.S.
Activities Director Daphne Newport requested that INTERLINK continue to bring students to converse with the residents after seeing her group react positively to the international students.