1st Speaking Circle Meeting Report

Ali, Faris, Ziyi, Vickie

Speaking/Listening 222-2

Ms. Levine

1st Speaking Circle Meeting Report

February 15, 2015

            On Tuesday, February 7, my group and I met at Akers Hall cafeteria for lunch meeting. First of all, because Faris and I live off campus, the place was not very convenient for us. We arrived there about half an hour later than the time we supposed to me at because we spend more than half hour looking for an empty parking place. When we got to the cafeteria, we found the other groups' members and apologized to them. They were very understanding. However, everyone grabbed some food, and we sat at a table. This meeting was our first meeting, so we started getting to know each other more. Then we discussed the food quality there. The food were not the best food you can eat for lunch, and not healthy at all in my opinion. After lunch, we begun discussing our plan for next meetings, and what the best time and locations for all of us. Finally at the end of our first hour meeting, we decided that our next meeting will be at MSU's museum. .

            This meet was a big chance for all of us to get to know each other more, and a big opportunity to practice our English with classmates who are at the level with us. Now everyone in the group know a lot about every other member such as age, nationality , major. Faris is eighteen years, from Saudi Arabia, undergraduate student majored in finance, and he has been her in the U.S. from five months now. Ziyi is twenty years old, Chinese, and also undergraduate. She studied high school her in the United States. She has been in America around four years now. Next was Vickie and she is Chinese, eighteen years old, and undergraduate student. As well as Ziyi she also studied high school her in the U.S. and this is her fourth year too. Finally, it was my turn to give them a brief information about myself. I am twenty six years old, Saudi, graduate student majored on Applied Mathematics. This is my second year a MSU and the U.S.

            In general the meeting went really well. I did not feel there is any problem communicating with each other. For sure there are some difficulties understanding some words because of our pronunciations though it was not a barrier. We tried to help each other as much as we can to improve our English. I think this is the point from the Speaking Circle. In my opinion, next meeting we should not meet for a meal because eating while having a conversation is not a great idea for two reasons, First, we came from different cultures, and sometimes what we are costumed to do while we are eating consider rude in some other cultures. so it is better to meet for a cup coffee or tea instead. Second, people get distracted while they eating, so they talk for one minute and stop for couple.