I had to ask what ‘911’ was in France. Not that I was in a burning building or anything, I was writing an emergency protocol for a Sciences Po summer program.
The French person who I asked knew immediately what 911 itself meant; I asked how. “You see that in every American movie, of course.” Bien sûr.
After spending time abroad I’ve come to the realization that immense as the United States might be (in political and cultural impact - my final exam prompt for “World Space” at Sciences Po was on American “soft power” in the public sphere… in other words from that class, ‘cultural imperialism’), we can’t afford to continually seek solace behind our Freedom Fries, especially in this age of internationalization. We can’t afford to not know of and understand the world and peoples beyond our borders, for doing so gives us singular learning opportunities. Having these experiences allows us to not only exposure to other peoples and their essences, their customs, culture, etc., but it also allows us to reflect upon ourselves and learn about our own mores and ways of “doing things.” Indeed this pedagogy of “l’autrui” (a French word loosely translated to “those around us”) is valuable not only for people living and working internationally, but even more essential for primary and secondary education, I argue, and that “proper” education abroad experiences are particularly important for creating effective, aware world citizens.
During my studies and travels, I found that quite a few people speak English. So why bother learning anything else? This notion “translates” to lack of second language (and culture) education in primary schools, weak programs for languages & literatures other than English at university level. UC San Diego’s French Literature department for example recently took a deep cut in funding, hence the department offers only a limited selection of courses.
But here enters a strange relationship between Guillaume le Conquérant and the GRE. The former became the first Norman King of England in 1066, introducing French lexicon into the English language, the latter’s Verbal module tests on archaic English words, which often had French roots. Indeed, learning French, a language of “l’autrui,” allowed me insights into my own language, and a (slight, but enough for grad school) boost on the GRE sans the use flash cards. “Aggrandize?” From the French “agrandir,” to make bigger.
More largely, learning about “l’autrui” can help us learn about ourselves. The student abroad is engaged in a reflective process, forcing them to actively analyze home vs. host culture and to engage with host culture. This process “makes sense” makes meaningful connections between one’s culture and the host culture, and gives the student a unique flexibility in understanding culture and the essence of people; this process is only available to students who study abroad. Further, living with l’autrui can make one appreciate little things found at home like speedy lines at the post office or consolidated paperwork for going to the bathroom, while highlighting the nuances found in the host culture. For example when one opens a bank account in France, a “conseiller,” the equivalent of a “personal banker” here, is assigned to your account, and this conseiller only will manage your account, whereas at banks here any personal banker will help with accounts. This often causes time-consuming bureaucratic red tape (as I discovered) but it reveals the very human dimension of French culture, where a ‘no’ can in fact mean a ‘yes’ after a good amount of plying.
The lessons learned from the pedagogy of l’autrui, among them mutual respect and understanding, are important even for the primary school age, where social lessons heavily include respect for others and “getting along” and “sharing.” As a soon-to-be teacher, I am fortunate to have had these experiences of learning to be a world citizen, and hope to pass on this wisdom to my students.
I applaud the CBMSF, which for me has embodied these world citizen principles with which we must move forward to be successful as a society, for continuing to target yearlong applicants to EAP. Though this might make me a “study abroad snob,” I argue that to attain a degree of immersion that truly begins to offer unique understanding of the host culture and move from a temporary visitor status; this additional time is needed for the proper engagement of the student with the host environment and the pedagogy of l’autrui.
My experiences from the Education Abroad Program and from being a part of the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship Fund have impacted my views on effective teaching, intercultural teaching and equity of education. Further, spending time abroad has allowed me to learn and reflect upon myself as a person and as a productive member of the “global village.” My hope is to impart to my students what I have learned of being a world citizen.