MHL Conversational English Group

Memorial Hall Library's Conversational English Group was started in 1997 by Andover resident and member of the Friends of Memorial Hall Library, Carolyn Fantini. Fantini is a former teacher and initially sought help in setting up the course from the Adult Learning Center in Lawrence. The classes were offered free of charge and were sponsored by The Friends of Memorial Hall Library. Classes were designed for individuals who had studied formal English and wanted to practice their speaking and listening skills. The classes initially met once per week and were offered in morning and afternoon sessions. Later, the classes were held with a longer morning session for ten week terms. The group met from September through May of each year. Meeting topics included the basics of life in a different culture: family, shopping, travel, and giving directions. Classes often included visiting speakers, acrostic poetry exercises, field trips and end-of-session heritage food parties.

In 2004, fellow Conversational English group members Arkady Beletsky and Katharina Radlberger discovered a common passion for performing classical music, Baletsky on cello and Radlberger on the violin. Together with a pianist and a soprano, they formed a quartet that performed multiple times at Memorial Hall Library.

In 2013, Fantini was awarded a Citizens Who Care award from the Andover Rotary Club for her work with the conversational English group as well as her advocacy for the library and service to the Friends of Memorial Hall Library as well as The Board of Trustees. Group leader, Carolyn Fantini was assisted by Jeanne Pakowski, Hellen Sellers, Sally Littlefield, Eileen Shannon, Caryn Sloan, Marilyn Santagati, Carol O'Handley, Judy Wright, Alana McKee, Louise Tomlineson, Betty Jaffe, Peggy Coleman and many others. The group ran for 24 years before it was disbanded during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Memorial Hall Library began a partnership with the non-profit organization English at Large to offer a conversation group for non-native English speakers in the library. https://mhl.org/conversational-english

...A Photo of the Conversational English Group in 2019.... click to enlarge

...Conversational English Class before disbanding in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.... click to enlarge

...A 2002 end of session party.... click to enlarge

Lipchitz, Rebecca Cultural Conversations Women from Abroad Bridge Language Gap and More Andover Townsman November 20, 1997, page 1.
Wakefield, Judy Universal Language Classical Combination Quartet Met Learning English October 10, 2004

--Stephanie (talk) 11:41, 27 July 2023 (EDT)