Language Immersion in Alternative Service Experiences

Presentation Format

Individual Presentation

Intended Audience

All Audiences

Program Abstract

International service-learning experiences provide opportunities for students to increase their knowledge of global issues while developing attitudes that cultivate global citizenship. To improve the efficacy of these programs, it is vital to equip students with tools to learn and use the language of the host country. We will discuss how and why we incorporated intensive language learning into our international alternative breaks and how this model can be translated throughout Higher Education.

Presentation Description

International service-learning provides an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge of global issues, regions and cultures. Through participating in these experiences, students improve their intercultural skills and develop attitudes that cultivate global citizenship. The Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) office at Appalachian State University offers eight different international Alternative Service Experiences (ASEs) annually. As this program has grown, discussions regarding the ethical and moral implications that underlie these transactions have emerged. A key concern for ACT and Appalachian State is ensuring that the partnerships with NGOs around the world provide a mutually beneficial relationship. Through discussions with students, community partners, and faculty about improving the efficacy of these programs, the need to create a language component to all of the international ASEs became evident. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the need for the creation and implementation of a language program for international service-learning participants and to discuss how this conversation and project at Appalachian State can be translated throughout Higher Education.

After coming back from international service-learning experiences, students consistently report that they wished they had been better able to communicate in the native language. Communication in a language other than English is a key element of intercultural competency; training and experience with language broadens the students’ perspectives of the world, allowing them to communicate effectively with the local community, thereby enriching their experience abroad and deepening their connection with the community in which they are serving and working alongside.

Through discussions between students, the department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and the ACT office, it was determined that the most effective way to address this concern is through a two-part language activity. This project was recently funded through the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan, further proving the value and importance in language learning for international service-learning. At Appalachian, the creation and implementation of a language program for international ASE participants was incorporated through a formal instructional setting and immersion activities. The formal instruction covered basic concepts in the language and key vocabulary pertaining to the type of activities that students would participate in during their international experience. The immersion activities were in the form of an out-of-class language immersion retreat, which allowed students to practice their studied language while exploring and experiencing elements of cultures that are not their own. This practice gave students confidence and showed them that even with their limited language skills, they have the tools to communicate and survive while being immersed in a different language and experiencing another culture.

Participants in this presentation will:

  1. Learn about the importance of incorporating language training in international service-learning as part of best practices in civic engagement

  2. Be guided through various methods that can be used to create a language program, with examples given through the personal experience of Appalachian’s programs

  3. Hear stories from students about the impact of these language programs and how they changed their perspectives on what it means to be a “global citizen.”

Location

Room - 210

Start Date

4-15-2016 8:15 AM

End Date

4-15-2016 9:30 AM

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Apr 15th, 8:15 AM Apr 15th, 9:30 AM

Language Immersion in Alternative Service Experiences

Room - 210

International service-learning provides an opportunity for students to increase their knowledge of global issues, regions and cultures. Through participating in these experiences, students improve their intercultural skills and develop attitudes that cultivate global citizenship. The Appalachian and the Community Together (ACT) office at Appalachian State University offers eight different international Alternative Service Experiences (ASEs) annually. As this program has grown, discussions regarding the ethical and moral implications that underlie these transactions have emerged. A key concern for ACT and Appalachian State is ensuring that the partnerships with NGOs around the world provide a mutually beneficial relationship. Through discussions with students, community partners, and faculty about improving the efficacy of these programs, the need to create a language component to all of the international ASEs became evident. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the need for the creation and implementation of a language program for international service-learning participants and to discuss how this conversation and project at Appalachian State can be translated throughout Higher Education.

After coming back from international service-learning experiences, students consistently report that they wished they had been better able to communicate in the native language. Communication in a language other than English is a key element of intercultural competency; training and experience with language broadens the students’ perspectives of the world, allowing them to communicate effectively with the local community, thereby enriching their experience abroad and deepening their connection with the community in which they are serving and working alongside.

Through discussions between students, the department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and the ACT office, it was determined that the most effective way to address this concern is through a two-part language activity. This project was recently funded through the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan, further proving the value and importance in language learning for international service-learning. At Appalachian, the creation and implementation of a language program for international ASE participants was incorporated through a formal instructional setting and immersion activities. The formal instruction covered basic concepts in the language and key vocabulary pertaining to the type of activities that students would participate in during their international experience. The immersion activities were in the form of an out-of-class language immersion retreat, which allowed students to practice their studied language while exploring and experiencing elements of cultures that are not their own. This practice gave students confidence and showed them that even with their limited language skills, they have the tools to communicate and survive while being immersed in a different language and experiencing another culture.

Participants in this presentation will:

  1. Learn about the importance of incorporating language training in international service-learning as part of best practices in civic engagement

  2. Be guided through various methods that can be used to create a language program, with examples given through the personal experience of Appalachian’s programs

  3. Hear stories from students about the impact of these language programs and how they changed their perspectives on what it means to be a “global citizen.”