MORE WORLD TRAVEL

This summer, several groups of students were lucky enough to leave U.S. soil and spend some time learning about other cultures, languages and customs. For the second time, Metro students visited China. The students received scholarships for all expenses except airfare through the Ohio State University’s Chinese Flagship Program. The students were participating in a study of how well an immersion program would work on students who have had no Chinese language studies previously. While in China, they had intensive instruction and had made a commitment to take at least 3 courses in Chinese during the upcoming school year.

Students also visited Costa Rica for 3 weeks, staying with non-English speaking host families! They attended language classes most days for half a day and had excursions and adventures the rest of the time. They also kept online journals, so I’ll let them tell you some of their experiences.

Adam’s perception of the home he stayed in:
The house has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and combined family room/dining room/kitchen area.  The front door and back door are always open and the walls don't connect to the roof so bugs are a constant nuisance to us. There is no air conditioning and my shower is crazy cold.  However, we have multiple large televisions, nice kitchen appliances, and nice laundry machines.  It is incredibly comical to see technology and nature intermix so frequently.

Fun activities included snokeling, zip-lining, horseback riding, shopping, and swimming at the beach. Apparently, there was even an opportunity to ride an ox!

From Jake:
To say the least, I must say it's a life-changing experience. To live in a house with a lack of closing windows, air conditioning, electricity, lights, and a front door, it's like living in a completely different world. I absolutely love it. To wake up to find a monkey in your room trying to run off with your bag, and to find a lizard in your shower are some of the most oddly entertaining experiences I've ever had.

Spanish is an essential down this far south, as English speakers are few and far between. For this reason, picking up the language has been much easier because we are compeltely immersed in the language, the culture, and the compelely different living sphere that is Costa Rica.

We've ziplined, bodysurfed, swam at the pool, gone dancing, learned to cook, whitewater tubed, ridden