Students in Spanish 251 at Pepperdine University complete a language exchange with Spanish-speaking facilities staff to build relationships and improve conversational skills.
Marilyn Koziatek/Pepperdine University
For college students learning a new language, it can feel difficult applying concepts in class to real-life situations, particularly listening or speaking.
At Pepperdine University, a partnership between a Spanish language instructor and facilities staff members has helped equip students with practical language skills and create relationships between the two groups.
The initiative has helped dozens of students improve their Spanish and spurred other language learning courses at the university.
The background: The Department of Facilities Services at Pepperdine employs over 100 individuals who are responsible or maintenance, custodial and landscaping services for the Malibu campus, many of whom are native Spanish speakers.
Alison Stewart, associate professor of teaching of Hispanic studies, has heard from some of her students that they regularly greet staff members on campus in Spanish but don’t feel comfortable in their speaking skills to venture beyond “Hola” or “¿Cómo estás?”
Incorporating a language exchange into the classroom setting allows students to practice their Spanish listening and speaking skills in a safe environment and gives them the opportunity to connect with staff members they may not otherwise engage with.
How it works: Students enrolled in Spanish 251, the majority of whom are native English speakers, participate in a Spanish-English conversation group. “At this level, Spanish students are conversant in the present and past tenses and their vocabulary spans a variety of topics,” Stewart says.
The class typically meets in the late morning, and once a month the 50-minute class session is dedicated to conversation groups. The first half of the class focuses on English articulation and pronunciation, and then Spanish for the last half.
“The learning objectives are to develop vocabulary for both sets of learners in English and Spanish,” says Marilyn Koziatek, director of facilities services and campus operations.
Each class starts with basic introductions in Spanish and then sharing around conversational topics including family, course schedules, majors, hobbies and food.
“I started by preparing talking points for shared discussion, but more and more I discover students and employees find their own topics of interest to share whether it be sports or fashion,” Stewart says.
Between 10 to 12 students and a similar number of staff participate in the groups. “I am proud to report that most if not all of our employee participants are repeat visitors to the 251 classes over the semesters,” Stewart says.
Facilities and operation staff members meet to practice English grammar and vocabulary.
Marilyn Koziatek/Pepperdine University
The impact: Since launching in spring 2023, Stewart has incorporated the conversation groups into all of her sections of Spanish 251.
Students and employees say they enjoy the fun, lighthearted atmosphere while in class and the ability to continue the relationships outside of class around campus, Koziatek says. Staff also share they appreciate the direct interaction with students that is typically not as prevalent during their daily work.
“The employees also say the classes give them confidence to interact with English-speaking colleagues, alumni and parents of the Pepperdine community,” Koziatek adds.
Some learners admit to being nervous when meeting with their conversation partners, but by the end of class, students feel more confident and accomplished in using their real-world Spanish, Stewart says. “One student was so excited that she called her parents right after one of our sessions and told them, ‘Mom, Dad, I just had a conversation entirely in Spanish with a Spanish speaker who works here on campus—it was so cool.’”
Building for the future: The initiative has also resulted in Stewart creating and teaching an English as a Second Language course for DFS employees that is free and available to anyone who wants to participate. Each month, Stewart teaches a group of 30 to 35 learners from DFS’s custodial and landscaping and irrigation departments in Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy building.
“We have covered basic English grammar concepts, a variety of vocabulary topics, and most recently in October we focused on vocabulary terms related to employees’ specialized jobs at Pepperdine,” Stewart says.
Stewart’s hope is that the ESL can be formalized, allowing students to have textbooks and take assessments and maybe even creating an end-of-year luncheon to celebrate their work.
“In the end, we are building meaningful bridges to connect members of our community, and I’m so grateful to be a part of doing so,” Stewart says.
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