In 2009, 21 of UPEI’s 88 students studying abroad were from the Faculty of Arts. This is all part of UPEI’s official internationalization strategy, which encourages international exchanges and student mobility experiences.
Dr. Doreley Coll, chair of UPEI’s Modern Languages department in the Faculty of Arts, is proud of the success of the University’s language students in competing for international opportunities.
“The value of an international experience for university students cannot be overestimated,” she says. “Participation in educational programs abroad gives our students lessons in learning and life which they will never forget and will share with fellow students when they return."
This year, three Modern Languages students are bringing the English language and a taste of Canadian culture to elementary, secondary, and language students in Spain and France.
Last spring, Darrah Richardson of Hunter River won a prestigious lectorship from the Spanish Embassy to work in Andalucía, Spain, as a language and culture assistant. She taught English to students in grades 6 to 12. Darrah was the first UPEI student to receive one of these lectorships. Competition is stiff, with students from across Canada and the United States competing for only 1,200 vacancies.
This position was ideal for her. “I have a passion for the Spanish language,” she says, adding that she would like to get her degree in the language. “And I like teaching and working with people.”
While she shared the English language and Canadian culture with her students, she also immersed herself in the culture and language of Spain.
“There is a big difference between learning Spanish in the classroom in Canada and learning it in Spain,” she says. “In Spain you hear it (Spanish) everywhere and every day, and have to use it. The best way to learn is to immerse yourself in the language and culture.”
Graduates Caitlin Brown of Richmond and Anthony Scott of Cornwall are working as language and culture assistants in France through CIEP, a public organization based in France that focuses on education and languages. Among other things, CIEP promotes the French language abroad and the teaching of foreign languages in France.
Caitlin and Anthony, both of whom majored in French at UPEI, are helping high school students in Orleans and Roanne respectively to learn English. While both are fluent in French, they see their time in France as an opportunity to develop their own language skills even more and to gain new cultural and life experiences.
Says Anthony, “I have been so lucky to be spending a year abroad working as an English assistant in France. I was told about this opportunity by my professor Scott Lee, who helped me immensely with my preparations for the year in Europe. I work in a high school in a small city, Roanne, and I live with the Spanish assistant at the high school. I play rugby for the city's club, which has allowed me to experience the French culture easily as well as many other cultures. I hope to do this again before education at UPEI.”
