This semester, I met with my conversation partner only once, so obviously my experience was not that great. However, there are many in the class that had excellent experiences and this proves that it was a good program. It just needs some tweaking.
One thing I think would help get it started is to have a group meeting between the classes. This gives everyone a chance to meet their partner in a non-stress setting. Also, there is not the problem the first time of trying to figure out who your partner is in a cloud of strangers. It can be a little get-together with food and games to get to know each other. This will give a background to make it easier to go off of.
Also maybe a survey of interests would help. This way, you may have something in common to make a starting point when meeting them.
These are just some ideas about how to start off the program more effectively, but after that initial meeting, it really is up to both the partners how to proceed.
Monday, December 6, 2010
My teacher from Spain
This semester, I am taking an European history class with Professor Sola. He is from Spain, and it is easy to see. His Spanish accent is so thick! Sometimes, it can be hard to understand him in class because with a different accent, I don't know which word he is trying to say. The other day in class, he was trying to say "barrier" as his powerpoint clearly said, but it came out as "BAreer."This happens a lot in the class, but we are all able to understand the point he is trying to get across.
What I love most about his lecture are his asides about the differences in the countries. His classes all know he is from Spain, not just because of his accent, but because of the bias in which he presents certain issues. It is extremely clear that he does not like Queen Elizabeth or the French. However, even with these biases, he is able to teach the course without bias. Though he may not like the French, he respected their efforts in the French Revolution, and he said Queen Elizabeth was the best king England had ever had.
While he jokes about the differences in the countries of Europe and the small rivalries, you can see that believes in the European Union. Americans have never had the same prejudices that he explained Europeans had about their neighbors, so it was hard when he was trying to explain the difference that the European Union made in the views of the other countries. However, he said that it was a feeling of nationalism in the continent, not just in their nation. There was a connection between all the countries. So maybe instead of describing my teacher as Spanish, I should describe him as European because that is what he thinks of himself as.
Because I am planning on going to Spain in the fall, I am glad I took this class because by listening to him, I have understood the European mindset a little better. It was interesting to see the differences in the way Europeans view their nation and the way Americans do.
What I love most about his lecture are his asides about the differences in the countries. His classes all know he is from Spain, not just because of his accent, but because of the bias in which he presents certain issues. It is extremely clear that he does not like Queen Elizabeth or the French. However, even with these biases, he is able to teach the course without bias. Though he may not like the French, he respected their efforts in the French Revolution, and he said Queen Elizabeth was the best king England had ever had.
While he jokes about the differences in the countries of Europe and the small rivalries, you can see that believes in the European Union. Americans have never had the same prejudices that he explained Europeans had about their neighbors, so it was hard when he was trying to explain the difference that the European Union made in the views of the other countries. However, he said that it was a feeling of nationalism in the continent, not just in their nation. There was a connection between all the countries. So maybe instead of describing my teacher as Spanish, I should describe him as European because that is what he thinks of himself as.
Because I am planning on going to Spain in the fall, I am glad I took this class because by listening to him, I have understood the European mindset a little better. It was interesting to see the differences in the way Europeans view their nation and the way Americans do.
Conversation Partner, revised
Since I had such a hard time meeting my conversation partner after the first time, I get the opportunity to write about people that I have met that were not originally from America. Fortunately, I have met several. The first I will talk about is my sorority sister, Shealea. She is from China, and she is studying here in America. It is always interesting to talk to her because she is hilarious. She always has something shocking to say, and can make everyone laugh with the simplest things.
I have asked her several questions about what she misses most about China and why she decided to come to school in America. Honestly, the thing she misses most was the sleep schedule. Whenever she goes on holiday, she gets to go back to the fifteen hours! of sleep that she would normally get in China. I'm lucky if I get eight hours a night. But Shealea seems really American in most of her ways. She went to high school here, and because she liked it so much decided to go to college in America.
She has no problems, in the time I have known her, in expressing herself in the language. She has caught on to all the nuances in the English language that take a while to learn.
Meeting Shealea was great because it helped me to understand that for the most part, students are going to act similar. Though there are cultural differences, for the most part she enjoys many of the same things I do.
I have asked her several questions about what she misses most about China and why she decided to come to school in America. Honestly, the thing she misses most was the sleep schedule. Whenever she goes on holiday, she gets to go back to the fifteen hours! of sleep that she would normally get in China. I'm lucky if I get eight hours a night. But Shealea seems really American in most of her ways. She went to high school here, and because she liked it so much decided to go to college in America.
She has no problems, in the time I have known her, in expressing herself in the language. She has caught on to all the nuances in the English language that take a while to learn.
Meeting Shealea was great because it helped me to understand that for the most part, students are going to act similar. Though there are cultural differences, for the most part she enjoys many of the same things I do.
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