Study-Abroad Programs Take Deeper Dive Into Local Culture

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish Each year about two hundred fifty thousand Americans study in other countries. Some study-abroad programs are trying harder to get students to learn about the local culture. One student on his first morning in Beijing was brought to a distant part of the city. He received money and instructions how to get back. It took some time but he succeeded. Professor William Finlay says challenges like this help students experience another culture. He heads the sociology department at the University of Georgia in the United States. He says: "It's absolutely crucial that they know something about how people in other parts of the world live and think and how they behave. Often those students go in large groups and they hang around with each other. We felt that they really weren't getting to know the local inhabitants." In two thousand eight, Professor Finlay started a program with South Africa's Stellenbosch University. The program combines traditional classroom learning with community involvement through a nongovernmental organization. He says: "We've been working with a particular NGO in the township and they do two things: they run a number of these creches, which are basically day care centers for children whose parents are working, and the library in the community where there are some computers. Our students typically work either with the little kids in the

Published 2011-11-23 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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