Working with University Settlement

In June 2021, as part of my artist residency at University Settlement’s Performance Project, I had the unique opportunity to lead workshops on collecting oral history as part of the Adult Literacy program. In preparation, I had the opportunity to sit in on two classes where I introduced myself and my project, and also to lead two “Conversation Club” sessions.

A slide from my presentation at University Settlement’s Conversation Clubs for adult English learners.

The students were enthusiastic, and all of them were eager to practice talking with each other. In my sessions, I started with the question: Will you stay in New York City for the rest of your life? And the answers that I heard were as varied as I expected, which reminded me of how much I appreciate and treasure my connection with NYC and its diverse communities – a truly unique place that can be aptly described as a melting pot.

For these sessions, I also connected the students’ interest in practicing conversational English with my work in collecting oral history recordings. I structured the session with a few interviewing tips for the students, should they be interested in collecting their own oral history recordings as well. For example, one of the tips was that a good start to an interview could include questions about the interviewee’s youth and background. Another was to avoid asking questions that could be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. We then practiced some of these techniques in breakout rooms during our remote session, and students tried continuing their conversations with classmates (acting as “interviewees”) as long as possible.

I think oral history as a practice can not only allow us to preserve stories for the future, it can also be a great activity for students who are just starting to learn English to continue practicing their conversational skills, while also sharing their own unique stories and backgrounds on their journey to their new home.