Reflections from the first month in South Africa! Hello again! I’ve been in Jo’burg for about a month now, and the time has truly flown by! I’m working in the Research and Development Unit at the organization I’m interning with, but my supervisor was very clear about wanting to provide me with opportunities to do a “little bit of everything”, and she has definitely stayed … Continue reading Language, Literacy, and Lots of Learning
How would you run an education system in a country with 11 official languages? Talking about language policy in South Africa can quickly turn into a spirited discussion, with some arguing that the current system never fully cast-off is racist apartheid policies, others arguing that English should be the only language used and still more arguing that the current system is the best. To understand … Continue reading The Power of Languages
Hello from South Africa! After 20 hours of travel (10 of which the person beside me on the flight loudly snored through), I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa! Dragging my 49.5-pound suitcase and my broken carry-on, I finally found the driver that the organization I’m interning with sent to pick me up. He laughed and said that I looked nothing like my picture—and trust me, … Continue reading Sawubona eNingizimu Afrika!
Prior to my arrival in South Africa, I was concerned my fluency in only one of the country’s 11 national languages, English, would limit my ability to communicate with locals. Turns out, I am not even fluent in English – at least not South African English. On my first day in Johannesburg I had to ask for directions. The conversation went as follows: Me: “Hello, … Continue reading Two Weeks – Two Cities – Arrival in South Africa
Last Friday evening, I arrived in Beirut, Lebanon. Tired and sore from 15 hours of travel, I was anxious to pick up my luggage, get through customs, and find World Learning’s (the INGO I am interning with) Security Manager who was waiting with a driver to take me to my new home. As we drove from the airport to the apartment, I stared out the … Continue reading Ahla wa sahla! Welcome to Beirut!
Jambooooo! (‘Hello’ in Kiswahili). Moving into a new country always has its up’s and downs. On one hand, you get to experience a new culture, meet a new set of people, explore a new city or town, but on the other end, you also make a lot of mistakes while starting over in a new country. I did make some highly expensive mistakes when I … Continue reading The Beginning In Nairobi
The International Educational Development Program 