As an English language partner for the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) on campus, I formed close relationships with international students. I was a language partner for two semesters. For the first semester I was partnered with two sisters from the Ivory Coast. In the second semester, I worked with a young woman from Vietnam. I also interacted with other students who were in the room studying or whose language partner was not available that day. As a language partner, it was my job to facilitate conversation so that the students could improve their conversational English.  I would ask questions about the student’s home country, mother tongue, friends and family, religion, etc. The students were always excited to share their culture with me. I learned a lot about how my students lived their lives and I grew in my understanding of their cultures. Often my generalization of their cultures had to be corrected, and I found it enlivening when my perspectives were challenged and changed. My excited to travel was broadened by hearing about their lives in Ivory Coast and Vietnam, and it always surprised my students when they heard that I wanted to travel to Africa and Asia.

​

By hearing about my students' cultures, I was able to see the similarities that existed between us, even though we came from very different backgrounds. The youngest sister from the Ivory Coast and I spent a lot of time talking about our religions and families. Even though she is a Muslim and I am a Christian, our faith is very important to both of us and both she and I have older sisters that we live with and who are our best friends: we were more similar than we were different.  It was encouraging to see the likeness between us, because it showed that bridging the cultural gap is only a problem if one has a closed mind.

​

I was able so share my own culture with the students.  I would explain American cultural norms with them, such as arriving on time for meetings and class. Through the discussions, I was alerted to the cultural rules that govern my life. I became more aware of my own culture by explaining it to the students and comparing it to their cultures.

​

I wrote a reflection on specific interactions with my students and what I have learned from them:

IELI Reflection.pdf