five students sit on the grass in a circle in conversation.

Pal Program

Program Overview

The Pal Program pairs up UC Davis undergraduate students for intercultural conversation experiences. Participants can use these sessions to increase their intercultural awareness, learn about a target language, and develop friendships.  

Spring Quarter Registration Coming Soon!

Requirements for Participants

  • Be an actively enrolled UC Davis undergraduate student.
  • Be available for at least one hour per week to meet with a partner.

Next Steps

  • Fill out a quick registration form with your preferences and availability.
  • When a suitable partner becomes available, we will email you with your partner's contact information. Check your email at least once a day for messages from palprogram@ucdavis.edu.
  • Contact your partner right away to plan your first meetup.
  • Review our Tips for Success in the Pal Program and FAQs lower on this page to get meetup ideas and answers to common questions.

Earn Credit with the Pal Program

You can earn one unit toward graduation while enjoying the benefits of the Pal Program by registering for EDU 198 Intercultural Communication for Pal.

Students interested in enrolling in this course must commit to meeting with two students for one hour per week for the entire length of the quarter and register for EDU 198.

Joining the Course

  • Add the course for one unit to your schedule using the listed CRN (note: CRN number to be determined). Course seats are limited, so add the course early to guarantee your spot. 
  • Register online to become a Pal. Indicate that you would like to be partnered twice and that you would like to earn course credit.
  • Avoid country and language preferences/requirements so you can be partnered quickly. Pals who have not been partnered twice by the end of week 3 will be asked to drop the course.
  • Receive two email notifications with your partners' contact information. We begin partnering at the beginning of the quarter, so you should receive your confirmation emails shortly thereafter. Reach out to your new partners using their preferred contact method. Wait five days for a response. If you do not receive a response or cannot find a mutually convenient time to meet, email us at palprogram@ucdavis.edu so we can re-partner you ASAP.
  • Meet with each Pal separately for one hour per week (a total of two hours). You can schedule these meetups on your own time.
  • Complete a series of assignments throughout the quarter, including an online intercultural competence assessment, an in-person meeting, a goal-setting assignment, a case study, and a final summary/evaluation essay. All assignment details and submissions can be found on Canvas.
  • Review and complete course material on the Pal Course Canvas page.

Tips for Success in the Pal Program

Understanding Each Other

Our most important piece of advice is to keep an open mind. Before making quick judgments about your partner, remember the following:

  • Most U.S. students have names that come from other countries. This doesn't make them any less "American."
  • If your partner is reserved or seems uninterested, remember that we all have different ways of showing attention or respect.
  • Just like you, your partner probably has expectations, preferences or goals for this experience. Openly discuss these topics at your first meeting so you can communicate better. 
  • Responding to emails in a timely manner and showing up on time for your meetings is a great way to show your partner that you are interested and excited about meeting them.
  • Subjects that may not seem like a big deal to you may feel inappropriate or uncomfortable for your partner. 

Conversation Starters

  • Food: This is a topic that never fails to start a lively discussion! Ask your partner what, when, how, and why they eat what they eat. Compare and contrast your experiences.
  • Home Remedies: There are loads of weird and wonderful home remedies in every culture (whether or not they actually work!), and they can be fun to talk about. Some might be personal to your family, whereas others might be more widely used, such as lemon and honey for a sore throat.
  • Body Language: Even though verbal language is your main focus, it’s surprising how important – and often culturally specific – body language can be in learning to fit into another culture.
  • Slang and Idioms: These are sometimes interchangeable, but essentially, slang is informal language that tends to be used in speech rather than writing, and between people who are familiar with each other and share similar interests. Idioms are expressions or phrases that have a different meaning from their literal interpretation. Do you have similar slang or idioms in your culture? Can you teach each other some new phrases?

Safety

As always, we encourage you to be safe and careful when meeting with your Pals. Follow the tips below:

  • Meet your partner in public places. Do not meet at your home or in isolated areas.
  • Do not consume drugs or alcohol when spending time with people you don't know well.
  • Because your partner may have a different first language and culture, it’s important to make sure you are both completely comfortable with any plans made.
  • Avoid driving or traveling too far away from campus.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I’m a U.S. student and only speak English. Do I need to speak another language to participate in the Pal Program?
  • No, you don’t. In fact, in some ways it’s better if you don’t speak the same language as your international partner, since many students join the Pal Program to improve their English language skills. That said, it’s always helpful if you speak slowly and clearly at first until you both get a better sense of your partner's language abilities.
  • I'm not a U.S. citizen, but I have lived in the U.S. for a long time. Which student type should I select?
  • If you feel comfortable with U.S. culture, you should choose "U.S.". If you want to learn more about U.S. culture, choose "International". These classifications don't refer to citizenship, but rather the place that you most identify with or want to learn about. Be sure to set your preferences to show whether you want to be partnered with a U.S. or International student too.
  • I signed up to become a Pal two weeks ago, but I haven't received a partner yet. What should I do?
  • Most likely, there are no partners available that fit your preferences. If you would like to change your preferences so you can be partnered more quickly, we would be happy to help you with this. Email your request to palprogram@ucdavis.edu. 
  • I am nervous about meeting my Pal for the first time. Where should we meet? What will we talk about?
  • You and your partner may feel a little anxious prior to meeting, but remember that both of you signed up to become a Pal because you were willing and open-minded enough to take a chance meeting a new person. We recommend keeping your first encounter casual - maybe meet for coffee at the CoHo or having lunch together outside on the Quad. Because you most likely come from different language and cultural backgrounds, you should have plenty to talk about. Consider discussing your classes, what you plan to do over the weekend, how long you have been at Davis. As you become more comfortable with each other, delve into topics regarding family dynamics, the experience of learning a language, and cultural adjustment. Find more topics on our "Tips for Success" page. 
  • My Pal doesn't speak English as a first language. Should I correct their grammar or vocabulary?
  • It’s best if you keep corrections to a minimum with your Pal. As you get to know each other better, and if your Pal specifically asks to be corrected, you can do this occasionally, especially if they make a consistent error. You can also use these opportunities to teach your Pal new words that they may not have encountered before. Language differences are always an interesting conversation topic. 
  • My Pal and I have had difficulty finding a mutually convenient time to meet. What should I do?
  • Of course there will be times when one or the other—or both—of you are just too busy to meet. That’s fine, as long as you do your best to make up the time later (perhaps adding an extra 10 minutes to each of your next few meetings, or meeting a couple of times during a slow week). However, the regularity of the meetings is more important than keeping track of each minute. As long as you both make an earnest effort to get together on a regular basis, that should be fine. If the problem is persistent, please email palprogram@ucdavis.edu so we can re-partner you. 
  • Can my Pal and I email instead of meeting in person?
  • No. Emailing each other is fine to set up a time to meet or just to say hello, but the main object of Pal is for both of you to have personal interaction through face-to-face conversation.
  • Are there any topics of conversation that I shouldn’t bring up?
  • Use your discretion. In general, you should avoid the same kinds of personal or controversial topics you would with any new acquaintance, including religion, money, and personal relationships. Later, depending on how well you get to know each other, these topics may become appropriate.
  • I make a lot of mistakes in English and get embarrassed. Will my Pal mind?
  • The Pal Program is not an English class—it’s an opportunity to have informal conversation without being judged or graded. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Your partner will be much more interested in what you say than how you say it.
 

If you have a question that is not on this list that you think should be added, please contact the Pal Staff at palprogram@ucdavis.edu.