This has been a very tiresome but rewarding week. I came back early to CN to help with international student orientation, and you can only imagine how that challenging that can be. We have many students here that are not here for undergraduate study, but they have made the journey to learn the English language in a special department on campus. So, most of the students have a very beginners level of speaking ability. It can be a very difficult process trying to help them since both sides know little of each other's language. It seems we have an especially hard time with students from Vietnam; they have very little speaking ability, even more than the others. It is an extremely rewarding experience, though, to meet these students. I get to learn so much about their lives and their cultures; I sometimes learn more from these students than I do in the classroom. We always have a very diverse group: Japan, Vietnam, Brazil, Germany, Scotland, Korea, South Africa, Morocco, and more. It is so enriching to learn their different ways of life. One great thing about this group is that they are all generally friendly. Most international students, though, are usually very nice and are very grateful. One Korean has already offered to be my tour guide next year when I go to his country in return for the little help that I have given him. It really feels nice to be making a difference and helping these great people during their scary and difficult transition into American culture. I think I have one of the best jobs in the world!
tagged college, personal
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