A program that has been in effect at Iowa State for more than 20 years is bridging cultural gaps and giving students a better world perspective.

The Conversational English Program is a part of International Education Services. It matches international students with American volunteers to share information and to better understand one another.

“International students can learn something about the U.S., and Americans can learn about other countries and about other parts of the world,” said Dongwang Liu, program coordinator for the Conversational English Program.

Liu said the program has stayed in effect for so long because of participant feedback.

“We check with them periodically, and they keep journals of their discussions,” Liu said.

Participants meet for one hour each week at a place and time they decide.

To complete the program, they have to have 14 to 16 hours of contact time, and they have to keep a journal of their discussions.

“Anyone who is interested in another country or in learning another language should get involved,” Liu said.

The program has about 70 people involved right now, but program officials expect to have more sign up before the semester is over.

Most of the American participants are students from ISU, but other people can get involved.

Professors and retired Ames residents also have participated in the Conversational English Program.

The program also matches students who are in cross-cultural classes such as sociology and international communications for class projects.

“If students are interested in studying abroad or have a special interest in a certain country, we can find a student to pair them up with,” Liu said.

The program helped match up Tracy Regan, sophomore in mechanical engineering, with a student from Switzerland.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about Europe because I want to study abroad there,” Regan said.

Regan said the program was much more than just learning about a different culture.

“At first we talked about our cultures, but then we became more of friends,” Regan said.

Regan joined the program as an extra-credit project for a sociology class last year and completed more than the expected contact time.

“After a while, we found that it was more enjoyable to get together as friends and not worry about contact time,” Regan said. “I plan to study in Wales next year, and when I travel Europe, I plan to visit him in Switzerland.”