A Non-Traditional Form of Learning
How are students affected by cultural experiences offered through Anderson University?
One major thing that students gain from immersing themselves in another culture is the ability to apply practical life applications. Perhaps a student has been studying a foreign language and through a Tri-S trip he can practice speaking with other people. For that student, his world opens in a completely new and exciting way. Or another student has a heart for trafficked people and BOUND provides a way for her to reach those in need. Students want to meet and learn from people who have very different experiences. Julie Jones was one of those students. She traveled to Australia in the summer of 2014 as a cultural learning …show more content…
They learn to be open to new experiences and accepting of individuals who lead different lives than they do. Such skills will prove helpful to students in their personal, work and spiritual life. Madison DeBarge agrees that travel gives an individual adaptability skills as she learned on her missions trip to Honduras. She found that her experience showed her a completely different way of life, one very different from her usual comforts. She tells of when the team first arrived at their ministry site. “The children had never seen candy before, so we had to explain how to unwrap the suckers, and make sure they did not eat the sucker sticks. The children had also never seen balloons, so when the team helped them make balloon animals, it was amazing to the children. I didn’t even realize that people have never eaten a sucker, it’s just not something you normally think about.” A situation like this is humbling to say the least. Candy is an insignificant item in the minds of an American, but to a Honduran child it was an item of splendor. Interestingly, Madison described a lesser-known distinction between Hondurans and Americans. “We’re more cold-climate, Honduran people warm-climate.” I inferred that she was not discussing the weather. When I asked her for clarification, she explained, “People from the United States are more formal and business oriented, …show more content…
Ms. Jones and Ms. DeBarge exemplify a common attitude at Anderson University. Both girls wanted to travel and learn, and they agreed that they learned more than they expected. Traveling to another country or overseas takes a student out of the realm they are accustomed to and gives them a new perspective. “Anne Combs, a senior majoring in Spanish and English as a New Language (ENL) education. Anne said of being immersed in a new culture, ‘I have always felt encouraged to only be friends with Christians, but God spoke to me through studying abroad. Some of the most remarkable friendships I made were with people who many Christians would say were living “alternative lifestyles”’(Schumacher). These experiences in some ways make students friendlier-- they know how to approach people that live different lives than they do. Had the students never experienced life outside of their cultural realm, they most likely would not adapt as well to new
How are students affected by cultural experiences offered through Anderson University?
One major thing that students gain from immersing themselves in another culture is the ability to apply practical life applications. Perhaps a student has been studying a foreign language and through a Tri-S trip he can practice speaking with other people. For that student, his world opens in a completely new and exciting way. Or another student has a heart for trafficked people and BOUND provides a way for her to reach those in need. Students want to meet and learn from people who have very different experiences. Julie Jones was one of those students. She traveled to Australia in the summer of 2014 as a cultural learning …show more content…
They learn to be open to new experiences and accepting of individuals who lead different lives than they do. Such skills will prove helpful to students in their personal, work and spiritual life. Madison DeBarge agrees that travel gives an individual adaptability skills as she learned on her missions trip to Honduras. She found that her experience showed her a completely different way of life, one very different from her usual comforts. She tells of when the team first arrived at their ministry site. “The children had never seen candy before, so we had to explain how to unwrap the suckers, and make sure they did not eat the sucker sticks. The children had also never seen balloons, so when the team helped them make balloon animals, it was amazing to the children. I didn’t even realize that people have never eaten a sucker, it’s just not something you normally think about.” A situation like this is humbling to say the least. Candy is an insignificant item in the minds of an American, but to a Honduran child it was an item of splendor. Interestingly, Madison described a lesser-known distinction between Hondurans and Americans. “We’re more cold-climate, Honduran people warm-climate.” I inferred that she was not discussing the weather. When I asked her for clarification, she explained, “People from the United States are more formal and business oriented, …show more content…
Ms. Jones and Ms. DeBarge exemplify a common attitude at Anderson University. Both girls wanted to travel and learn, and they agreed that they learned more than they expected. Traveling to another country or overseas takes a student out of the realm they are accustomed to and gives them a new perspective. “Anne Combs, a senior majoring in Spanish and English as a New Language (ENL) education. Anne said of being immersed in a new culture, ‘I have always felt encouraged to only be friends with Christians, but God spoke to me through studying abroad. Some of the most remarkable friendships I made were with people who many Christians would say were living “alternative lifestyles”’(Schumacher). These experiences in some ways make students friendlier-- they know how to approach people that live different lives than they do. Had the students never experienced life outside of their cultural realm, they most likely would not adapt as well to new