Immersion Through Language
By: Lauren St. Louis, CAS ’24
Lauren at her workstation.
Center for Cross-Cultural Learning – Morocco
This past year has taught me so much about life and opportunity. As a freshman, being welcomed into the Penn community completely virtually was something that I could have never imagined. During my first semester at home with remote learning, and even in my second semester on campus, I was continuously adjusting to a new normal. Though it was difficult at first to manage, I have now come to appreciate the benefits of remote learning and how it still works to facilitate a community of togetherness, inclusion, and creativity.
My interests in building meaningful connections, interning in a new environment, and immersing myself in new cultures drove me to apply for the VIA program. This program allows me to explore my passions for medicine, public health, and education by advocating for children with special needs. I started my internship with the Center for Cross-Cultural Learning (CCCL) in Morocco nearly two weeks ago and have already gained insight into Moroccan culture, the educational system there, and daily life.
From the very first meeting that I had with the Moroccan coordinator, Nawal Chaib, to the project description that I reviewed with my immediate supervisor, Asmaa, I felt welcomed and thoroughly excited to start my work. One opportunity that I have taken up to further explore an aspect of Moroccan culture was through daily Arabic classes. Arabic is the official language of Morocco, and prior to my internship, I have had no exposure to the language. My intermediate proficiency in Spanish was something that I thought I could use as a tool to help me learn the language, but I have quickly come to see how intricate and unique Arabic truly is.
The Arabic classes started on June 7th and will last until June 24th. They are for an hour every day, Monday through Thursday, and they take place on Skype. I was thrilled to discover that I would be taking these classes with two other Penn students who although I do not know, look forward to building connections with. Our Arabic teacher Ahlam Baoui has provided us with a thorough introduction to the language. Having taken these classes for only four days I already know how to introduce myself, discuss where I go to school and what I am studying, talk about where I am from, and speak about my family. We have a structured schedule that is split into 5 minutes of review, 25 minutes of conversation and vocabulary, and 30 minutes of the alphabet and writing.
These classes have reintroduced to me how fun learning a new language is and how easy it can be when you dedicate your time and energy into it. At first, I was hesitant to take Arabic because I was unsure of how it would be useful to me. I have spent nearly 10 years of my life learning Spanish and am still not fluent in the language. I now value immersion over proficiency and realize that even though I may not be able to speak fluently in Arabic by the time my classes end, I will be grateful for the opportunity to learn something new. I am left even more eager to learn and seek out information on my own time that relates to Morocco and the Arabic language.
The Virtual Internships Abroad (VIA) program provides self-directed and motivated Penn undergraduate students the opportunity to gain a fully funded professional work experience over the summer with a global employer, with the added convenience of working remotely.