Support for International Exchange Programs

8 May 2012

Congress will be voting on May 22nd regarding funding for international exchange programs like Fulbright. If you would like to support these types of programs, you can write a letter to you senators at the following website: http://capwiz.com/fulbright/issues/alert/?alertid=61299626&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

International exchange programs like the Fulbright are essential in promoting cultural understanding and giving the world a more positive view of the United States. If you've read my blog, then you know that my students here in Spain as well as the students in the United States are benefiting from my experiences in Spain.

My students get to hear and speak to a native speaker on a daily basis--strengthening their language abilities. I also have the chance to talk with them about what the United States is really like. They have a lot of stereotypes of the United States from what they hear and see on TV and from other figures in their lives. I get to explain to them that no, we don't eat hamburgers every day in the United States. No, not everyone is fat in the United States. No, unfortunately, we don't eat pancakes and bacon every day for breakfast.

My students are also making friends with students in the United States. Through our pen pal project, students in both the United States and Spain are getting to know students from another country. They are learning that there aren't really that many differences between them. In Spain, they call it football. In the US, they call it soccer. However, in both places, they play sports with their friends at school as well as after school. Furthermore, they are learning about some of the differences between these two countries--such as the typical foods, the school schedules, etc.

Just the other day, I was proofreading a letter from one of my students to an American student. She writes in her letter (unedited), "Can we be (*Julia of your class, *Adriana of my class, and you and me) best friends?"   Isn't this the purpose of international exchange programs? Building positive relationships between countries?

For me, personally, I'm learning a lot about Spanish culture and I'm improving my spoken Spanish. This is all knowledge that I will eventually bring to the table when I teach in a Spanish classroom. However, it's also been an experience for personal growth. I've done something that scared me last year--living by myself for a year in a foreign country. And I'm a better and stronger person for it. I've learned a lot about myself and how I want to live my life.