Conversation Activities

Conversation Tables

Gather around for a meal in the cafeteria, in the Student Center, or at Starbucks for an opportunity to get to know native speakers or other students in foreign language classes. Speaking only in Spanish or French, students are able to practice and perfect their conversational Spanish vocabulary.

Local Opportunities

Harding students studying Spanish can take advantage of contacts with a significant Hispanic population at the University and in the local community. Contact with native speakers is especially valuable for those preparing themselves for mission work in Spanish-speaking countries: students may attend a Spanish-language Church of Christ, attend Wednesday evening Spanish-language devotionals on campus, converse with native speakers at programmed dining hours, and engage in several English as a Second Language mission outreaches to local Hispanic workers, one in Searcy and others within a 50-mile radius. Medical students may be involved as translators and receptionists in local health clinics. In addition, Harding has some 60 Walton scholars from Mexico and Central America, as well as Hispanic students here on athletic scholarships, providing students with many opportunities for contact with native speakers of Spanish.

Immersion activities in French are frequently offered. Students are invited to attend Wednesday evening devotionals,  game nights, crêpes nights, Christmas caroling, and other French-speaking activities through out the semester.

We also offer cultural opportunities and enrichment activities for the development of our students’ Italian language skills through the Italian Club. Students may participate in a variety of events, such as: Italian devotionals, Italian dinners, brick-oven pizza parties, Italian-for-fun online conversations, pesto and focaccia bread cooking classes, Olive oil tastings, bocce tournaments, Coffee hangouts, Italian Opera nights and one-on-one conversation tables with fluent Italian practice partners.