|
|
|
 |
Being inspired by the idea of cultural exchange, and having "tasted" its
fruit's flavor through participating in 1996 in a student exchange program (enabling students chosen
through different competition stages including tests, interviews, etc. to study one academic year |
in a U.S. higher educational establishment) called FSA Undergraduate, sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (BECA, for short, formerly USIA) and administered by ACCELS/ACTR, and through Work & Travel in 1998, 99, 2000, I decided to found a company that would promote educational travel, cultural exchange and of course, as a prerequisite, foreign languages.
Nowadays it is no more sufficient learning a foreign language just by manuals and classroom studies. And since such programs as Work and Travel, Camp America, Au Pair, Internship, Homestay Programs, etc. give the opportunity to immerse in the culture, in the native-speaking environment with the minimum of expenses, and thus obtain a qualitatively different command of the language, otherwise not real in the same period of time, no wonder that these programs attract more and more students as the benefits of the programs become more apparent and widely known.
Needles to mention, apart from the above mentioned virtues, cultural exchange is perhaps one of the phenomena that works wonders in today's very important task of enhancing diversity tolerance and mutual cross-cultural understanding which is the clue to the peace on the world.
All these years that I have been in this sphere have been very educational, instructional and rewarding. The nature and the idea of the exchange being very inspiring for me - the international experience, educational travel, communication with students, contemporaries or simply people from all over the world - has always made me explore the field deeper and get more and more information and details. And as one of the fruits was a book written by me - a manual of the real American English, i.e. everyday spoken language, including (but not limited to) special vocabulary for Work and Travel Program, simulated situations for the participants, meant to ease their flow into the American reality - since as good as their knowledge of English is, they surely need to get training in real spoken language, in realities of the culture they are going to immerse - so that they are able to avoid misunderstandings and communicate effectively (Somewhere Beach Adventures - Learn Real-Life American English, Asoghik Publishing House, © 2002, 140 pages, ISBN 99930-74-63-2).
During these years I have also performed an operations research to make the adaptation process, the cultural integration for the students easier and less "painful", to help them better cope with cultural shock. Different cultural programs and sightseeing tours are organized during their visits.
Today, among services we provide are: Educational Travel Services, tours to different sites of interest/leisure, field trips, Courses of English (General, Intensive, American, British, for Professionals, Examination Courses /TOEFL, IELTS/), French, German, Italian; Courses of Russian/Armenian for foreigners, Computer Courses, Accounting Courses, Translating Services, Computer Services, etc. Our offices are in Armenia and Bulgaria, and we plan to expand both geographically and structurally.
We have been trying to do our best in giving the opportunity for school children, students, corporate workers, businesspersons, teachers, professors - all other people - to learn languages, to get acquainted with the culture, customs and traditions of the languages being studied, to explore the world, to be comfortable with computers to keep pace with today's IT world.
Having been in the cultural exchange from the very bottom up to the top, I have always wanted to share my experience with others, I have always striven to do my best in helping others experience the virtue of cultural exchange, to experience the breathtaking moments which, I am sure, they will never forget.
President and CEO
|
|
|
