The success of CCP is a result of the personal relationships created through cross-cultural
partnerships. When students meet with their partners during informal meetings, the
conversations about family, music, campus life--or whatever topic they choose--promote
understanding and friendships.
For many ESL students, these partnerships are their first experience with native English speaking individuals. As a result of their participation in CCP, ESL partners report improved self-confidence, better retention, and increased academic success.
Cross Cultural Partners: In Their Own Words...
Currently, more than 30 different languages are represented in CCP. The community college experience at De Anza is enhanced by such diversity, as the quotes below reveal.
Sara, Mexico
ESL 273 (Fall 2023)
"My experience participating in the CCP was very pleasant. At first, I had doubts about participating because I didn't know what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations. The most important thing for me was making the connection with my peer; Ayami. The conversations we had were about several topics; food, culture, hobbies, trips, families, and at some point we talked about personal things although our cultures and beliefs are different knowing her perspective and that she listened to mine without feeling judged was something that stayed with me. The program helped us both gain confidence in communicating, to not feel isolated because we did not speak English perfectly. I believe all ESL students should participate in the program to help them improve not only communication but also gain confidence and build new relationships."
Kaung, Burma
ESL 273 (Fall 2023)
"My name is Kaung. I am originally from Yangon, Burma, a country in southeast Asia. I took ESL 273 with Katelyn in 2023 Fall while participating in the CCP. This was my first time participating in the program. The experience with the program was good. It was easy to sign up, schedule meetings and submit meeting notes. My speaking partner for that period was Jeff. I am lucky to be partnered with him. He is originally from Wisconsin and lives in Cupertino, California. We have talked about culture, family, hobbies, holidays and career. I have learned things that I didn't know from him under those topics and vice versa. Most importantly, he corrected me with some pronunciations while we were speaking. I always wanted to speak English with correct pronunciation and the meeting with Jeff was valuable for me. I would recommend participating in CCP to students who want to be beneficial like I did."
Nabila, Indonesia
ESL 473 (Fall 2023)
"My experience participating in CCP is memorable. I met my speaking partner, Julia, and we talked for hours, discussing our lives, checking in on each other, and sharing hobbies, etc. I like the way you can make friends by participating in these programs and also have chatting friends. It is a great way to improve communication skills, especially if you are like me—an ESL speaker. I would definitely try to participate in this program again in the future and will recommend it to anyone!"