Standard Two ~ Culture

culture learning project

~ IELI students visit a local high school ~

 
In this activity, the students of my college Intensive English language program had visited a local high school and had spent a day following around a student who functioned as their host.

On that day, they did everything with that student just like any other American high school student. 

Later, in the next class, they discussed their observations with one another and then told me what they thought.

They shared many interesting observations with me.  For example, they all observed that the students were more well behaved than they had expected and that the subject matter being taught was very advanced.  All of them had also noticed high school boys and girls holding hands or making out in the halls.  Their responses to what they had seen varied depending on their own cultural norms.  I tried my best to explain what they had seen in a manner that would reduce any misunderstandings or negative judgments.


Finally, the students and their teachers came and visited us for a day.  They participated in the communicative activities like any other ESL student.  This gave us a good opportunity to discuss some of the social functions and strategies we had been discussing recently. 

The students were all really excited and motivated by this experience.

They got along surprisingly well with the students they were matched with and maintained some friendships afterwards even.

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