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Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship

U.S. Fulbright

My Malaysia Mosaic: Bringing Cultures Together

September 25, 2014
Janice - 1

Janice Feng, 2012-2013, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Malaysia (center), with her students attending a district wide art workshop

Three weeks before the Fulbright U.S. Student Program application deadline, I walked into my Fulbright Program Adviser’s office and told her that I wanted to apply for a grant to Malaysia. Rather than turning me away, she helped me prepare my application, critiqued my essay drafts, and was an invaluable resource throughout the entire process. For every Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) applicant, one of the most daunting tasks is tailoring his or her life story to the country of application. For me, the questions were, “Why Malaysia? And why me?”

In order to take full advantage of the opportunity to live and understand a country at its roots, I wanted to pick a place as far removed from the United States as possible. Malaysia offered the unique challenge of living and teaching with three distinct races, religions, and languages. Why choose to delve into one culture when I could learn about three?

My placement in a secondary school of over two thousand students was a melting pot of the country’s demographic blend. Although I got exactly what I hoped for, I had no idea what lay ahead. The classroom not only contained the typical high school obstacles, but the students would also self-segregate themselves according to gender and race. As an ETA, I served in many roles: as a teacher and a cultural ambassador for the United States, yes, but also as a friend, mentor, and even mediator. There were days I struggled with the stress of adapting to such a different environment, but there were also countless moments that made it all worth it.

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U.S. Fulbright

Sweet Home Spain

July 30, 2014
Ari Jones - 1

Ari Jones, 2012-2013, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Spain (right), with Global Classrooms participants

I was nervous about going back to Spain. The country held a dear place in my heart, as studying abroad in Granada, Spain was my first international experience. I questioned whether I made the right decision in applying for a grant in Spain. Would my Fulbright experience tarnish my love for the country? Thankfully, it did not. There will never be anything like Granada 2010, but there will also never be another Madrid 2012-2013.

As an English Teaching Assistant (ETA), I taught a variety of subjects at a secondary bilingual institution, IES Parque de Lisboa, in the Comunidad de Madrid region of Spain. I had the opportunity to conduct two lecture series on slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. As a history major, I loved discussing these topics, but I believe (and hope) that they induced my students to think more critically about the role of racial and ethnic diversity in Spain, especially at a time when the country is being urged to take an active stand against racism and xenophobia.

In addition to my traditional classroom teaching, I co-taught Global Classrooms, which encourages students to explore world issues through a Model United Nations simulation. The four months during which my co-worker and I taught fourteen brilliant students about topics ranging from clean water issues to good debating strategies were some of the most rewarding interactions I had in Spain. Watching our students display their hard work at the Global Classrooms conference was beautifully humbling.

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U.S. Fulbright

Finding a Home

June 25, 2014
Aubrey Doye 1

Aubrey Doyle, 2012-2013, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Taiwan, with 6th Grade Fuxing Elementary School Students

“Where is home?”

For most people, this is a very straightforward question. But for me, it’s a little more complicated. Although I was born in the United States, I spent most of my life living in Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. I have grappled with the concept of “home” for as many years as I can remember. I knew my Fulbright year would be special, but when I reflect on my experience, I realize that I walked away with lifelong friends who are a second family to me, and with memories that truly symbolize the feeling of “home” I have for Taiwan.

Before I went to Taiwan, I promised myself to live every day to the fullest. I ran two marathons, traveled throughout the country, attended religious and cultural ceremonies, and even earned my Taekwondo black belt.

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U.S. Fulbright

Transition Words

June 11, 2014
Alexa Schmidt

Alexa Schmidt, 2011-2012, Fulbright ETA to Bangladesh (center), with a group of her eighth grade students and after school conversational language club members

My flight leaving Bangladesh was brutal—Dhaka to Kolkata to Bangalore to Frankfurt to Philadelphia to Burlington over two and a half days. Yet, just as arriving in Bangladesh was circuitous, it seemed fitting that my departure would also be less than straightforward. Anyway, I needed the time to transition.

The reasons I gave initially to explain my application to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program (ETA) to Bangladesh included my desires to live in a predominately Muslim country, to challenge myself in an environment where few people speak English, and to explore the place most opposite to what I always considered home. I believe I fulfilled all of these desires, but they pale in comparison to what I could say now: Fulbright is an exceptional program which realizes its aims in a truly transformative way. Mutual understanding has become one of my core values and I think about just about everything – from privilege, to nationalism, to sweatshops – differently now.

I was three years out of undergrad when I decided to apply, and for two of those years, I worked in the United States with refugee English Language Learners. My experience teaching English language and working in a cross-cultural setting strengthened my application, but it took time to articulate country-specificity. The key to a strong Fulbright application (whether ETA or study/research) is being able to express both your unique personal history in your personal statement and your ability to engage with your host country through a feasible and well-designed statement of grant purpose.

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U.S. Fulbright

My Fulbright Year as a Franz Schubert-Singing Linebacker

January 15, 2014
Deeneaus

Deenaus Polk (center), 2011-2012, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to Germany, with some of his students from Grade 11 Berufsfachschule Class I

Serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Germany provided many teachable moments. I approached my time as a Fulbright ETA with a specific goal in mind: I wanted to serve as a creative force, pushing my students to dream big and to elevate themselves towards heights they had never dreamed possible. As is usually the case with a bright-eyed, altruistic notion, I ran into a mighty brick wall – namely, the interest of my students.

My initial attempts at serving as a teaching assistant relied heavily on discussing the latest gossip on “important” topics such as Nicki Minaj, whether or not Tupac was still living, and if the Dallas Mavericks (Dirk Nowitzki is German!) could repeat as NBA Champions. Everything else fell on deaf ears. An eventual breakthrough came via an unexpected avenue – classical music. I have a huge love for classical music. Listening to it propels me through life, sparking all sorts of creative thought. Further, performing it with others is the ultimate form of diplomacy. For me, there’s nothing better than coming together with people you don’t know, especially in another country, and working together to understand, perfect, and perform a piece like Antonín Dvořák’s “Stabat Mater.” One day during class, I referenced Tom and Jerry and the prevalence of classical music within cartoons. I got nothing but blank stares in return. They had no clue what I was talking about! This sparked not only a slew of lessons, but also drastically altered my time as an ETA. I had the confidence needed to become the cool, ‘Mr. D.’ This allowed me to connect with students on a personal level. Several students attended my performances with a local choir. I also played semi-pro ‘American football’ with one of my students for a local team and would routinely tell our coach if he didn’t turn in his homework!

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