Tuscarawas County Public Library System will offer a Conversation Connections

For the first time, the Tuscarawas County Public Library System will offer a Conversation Connections program at the Main Library every Thursday, June 12th through July 24th at 5:30 PM where native English speakers and Spanish speakers can have meaningful interactions and experiences that supplement their language learning.

The program is led by library Customer Service Assistants Emmie Troyer and Deborah Kenney who together teach the Library’s English Language Learners (ELL) class.

Kenney said the idea for the Conversational Connections program gained traction when several community members contacted the library looking for opportunities to meet with others who were learning to speak Spanish to practice together. At that same time, students in the library’s ELL class expressed interest in being able to practice speaking English with native speakers.

According to Troyer, each Conversation Connections meeting will be divided into English speaking for half an hour and Spanish speaking for half an hour. There will be a theme for each session to help spark conversation and learning different language aspects as participants interact with one another. Both Troyer and Kenney hope this program help participants form valuable relationships.

The Main Library is located at 121 Fair Ave NW, New Philadelphia. Registration for these programs open May 21st and can be done by visiting the library’s event calendar at tusclibrary.org or by calling the Main Library at 330-364-4474.