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Page 3A • Monday, April 12, 2004
Grab a partner
Students team up to exchange lessons in language and culture
By Jose Cruz
THE BATTALION
At the beginning of the school year, CarrieAnn Hamilton, a
sophomore anthropology major, was thinking back to her freshman
year and remembering how uncomfortable she had felt coming to
Texas A&M because she didn’t know anybody. Hamilton said she
thought about how awkward it felt and decided to help someone
else out who was in the same situation. She decided to join
Conversation Partners, a program set up by the English Language
Institute (ELI) for international students to practice their
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English. Students who are interested in the program fill out an
information sheet and are matched up with a partner at the begin
ning of each semester. Partners meet once a week for an hour and
talk about a variety of subjects ranging from school to concerts to
sports. The program also allows international students to pick up
on the subtle details of everyday American life that the classroom
doesn’t teach. Hamilton meets weekly with Renata Sostaric, an
ELI student from Croatia, and said she is intrigued by Sostaric.
“She’s from a different country and has a different perspective,”
Hamilton said.
Sostaric said her initial perspective could be considered a
stereotypical European view of America. When Sostaric arrived in
America, she said she realized things were different than what she
thought they would be.
“In Croatia, we only see movies and TV from America, and
that’s not always accurate. People from other countries may
think that every other person in America is like Jim Carrey or
stupid like Jessica Simpson, but it’s not like that,” she said.
Apart from experiencing American culture firsthand,
Sostaric has steadily been improving her English.
“In the beginning I was embarrassed to talk, and
now I have much more confidence,” she said.
Hamilton and Sostaric said they will remain in
contact with each other even after they complete
the program.
In Croatia, we only
see movies and TV from
America... People from
other countries may
think every other person
in America is like
Jim Carrey or stupid like
Jessica Simpson.
— Renata Sostaric
English Language Institute student
“Renata and 1 have become great friends, and we often lose
track of time at our meetings because we are having so much
fun,” Hamilton said. “I’m glad I did it. I just wish I could have
started earlier.”
When Er Wen Huang, an industrial engineering graduate stu
dent from Taiwan, first arrived at A&M, he said he would read his
textbooks, go to class and go home. Huang said he felt he was
missing out on a part of the college experience, so he joined the
conversation partners program.
“I thought it would be a good way to involve myself in campus
life, apart from school, and get a complete education,” he said.
The program encouraged Huang to become more involved in cam
pus life, and he is now closer to assimilating into American society.
“My goal is to keep learning about the world, and America is a
big part of that world. For me, language is a bridge to having the
ability to understand what other people are thinking,” Huang said. “I
am more comfortable now in social situations.”
Michael Wang, a sophomore business administration major and
Huang’s conversation partner, said he agreed that Huang is much
more comfortable now.
“I taught him that ‘howdy’ is not used outside of College
Station. He thought that ‘howdy’ was used everywhere in America;
he didn’t know it was just used at A&M,” he said.
Wang said he tries to teach Huang to speak more conversa
tional English.
“When he’s in Asia he doesn’t get an opportunity to speak
English outside of class,” he said.
For Wang, the program was a chance to learn about a different
culture from the one he grew up in and to think about things he
never thought about before.
“I like to meet people who you would never get a chance to
meet in Texas,” Wang said. “For us, we don’t get to meet many dif
ferent groups of people so we always think of them in the way we
see them on TV. They have the same image toward us Americans.”
Wang said he thinks it is important to break down cultural
stereotypes. Even if Americans are portrayed in a certain way in a
movie, it doesn’t mean that all Americans are like that, he said.
“It’s kind of hard to learn about a different culture when you
don’t meet people from that culture. That’s why meeting someone
from another country helps with your cultural diversity at the
University,” Wang said. “I’m more open-minded to other people’s
lifestyles. The biggest part of college is outside of academics. The
time in college you are supposed to branch out. Once I leave col
lege I will probably just be working and then going home. You have
to take advantage of every opportunity this university gives you.”
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Muslim Students’ Association — Texas A&M
presents...
The World is but a Moment
A Photographic Odyssey Through the Muslim World
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Peter Sanders
Tuesday, April 13
6:30 PM, Stark Gallery
To be followed by a reception
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Co-sponsors: Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, International
Programs Office, Office of the Provost, VP of Student Affairs, Stark Gallery