Spanish students at Southern Arkansas University who need help speaking to a native Spanish speaker, they can always head over to the Spanish café, where they can have a casual conversation over a cup of coffee.
According to Dr. Elba Birmingham—Pokorny, a Spanish professor at SAU, the Spanish Café, located in Wilson 327 was created to give students a chance to speak in Spanish outside of the traditional classroom setting.
“We are in the process of recreating the atmosphere of a café, with stools, coffee and pastries so that students can go in, spend some time and relax,” Birmingham–Pokorny said. “This will help them practice their language skills in a calm, non-threatening atmosphere.”
Corina Parra, a junior from Quito, Equador, is the native speaker students will be able to meet with. Parra has lived in Camden, Ark., for the past nine years, so she has become well versed in the blessings of living in rural Arkansas and the excitement of living in a large city across the globe.
Students may come and talk to Parra at varying times, Monday through Friday. The schedule in Wilson 327 is as follows: Monday from 1 to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m.; Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m.; and Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. There is no formal sign-up for the café, and students are encouraged to come by anytime they are able to do so.
“This won’t be a formal setting and the person won’t feel like they are being tutored,” Parra said. “If someone just wants to talk, they can talk. They don’t have to worry about their grammar.”
An expansion of the café in the future could include the inclusion of a native speaker from the community offering their skills and time in the café, Birmingham—Pokorny said.
To inquire more about the Spanish café, contact Birmingham-Pokorny at 870-235-4206 or elpokorny@saumag.edu.
