While traveling to Taiwan on vacation, junior Evelyn Hon met a Taiwanese girl who spoke English almost fluently. The two bonded over their shared love of reading, and the conversation inspired Hon to create the International Reading Club, built on the idea that books can connect students in Taiwan and the U.S.
The International Reading Club meets every other Monday during lunch and partners with LiberRead, a nonprofit that helps connect students in the U.S. with children in Taiwan ages 6 to 16. Members can meet on their own time and choose the books they are interested in. As of March 24, the club has from 15 to 20 members, while the LiberRead program has 60 total participants, including students in Taiwan.
“I’m reading Harry Potter with [the twins I tutor], and they seem interested and like reading,” freshman and club member Kolin Heath said. “Whenever I ask them, ‘Do you want to read another paragraph?’ They usually say yes, and they are very enthusiastic about learning and reading.”
Heath said the sessions help his tutees learn English and improve their communication skills, especially between different age groups.
“It can improve your talking skills because you have to know how to communicate with kids that might be younger than you or older than you,” Heath said. “It also shows you how good you are at teaching.”
Freshman Ayla Capanoglu, the club’s social media and outreach coordinator, is currently reading “Wonder” with her tutee. Despite the book’s length, Capanoglu said there is no difficulty communicating with her. She added that she sees the club as a way to give back to the community.
“I am a tutor with this sweet eight-year-old girl. I love her, and I love reading with her,” Capanoglu said. “She’s pretty smart, and she’s really good at reading.”
Outside of reading sessions, Hon said club meetings give members a chance to learn about Taiwanese culture and discuss book choices.
“We talk about experiences because from what I’ve heard, it’s really unique, like those people are so different from you, and it’s a completely different culture where they think really differently,” Hon said.
Anyone can join the club at any time, and Heath said members get to work on their communication skills while also providing an enjoyable learning space for others.
“I feel like it’s really helped me realize that I’m better at tutoring than I thought,” Heath said. “I didn’t know I was good, but I feel like these kids are understanding what I’m saying.”
