I decided that I want to do a research project about foreign students at SLU: a visual ethnography through photographs.
Just last semester I was a foreign student studying abroad, although when we get down to it, SLU Madrid is an 'American' university where 400 of the 600 students are visiting, 'study-abroad' students from all over the U.S. And about half of the permanent students are U.S. citizens that are enrolled in SLU Madrid but 'live in' and are from the United States. So, studying abroad in Madrid is not a true and total culture shock and as 'foreign exchange' as it can get.
I also lived for a year in Ecuador as an exchange student (in 2004) so I for one consider that type of immersion, where I am clearly out of my 'American' element and fellowship much more 'foreign exchange' than attending SLU Madrid. I have in my mind an idea of what it should/could be like to be a foreign student at Madrid, and who might qualify as a foreign student: a semester-only or year-only visiting student that is permanently enrolled in another university in another country, and who speaks English as a second language.
I really like all things international--people, language, and culture, so I should have found this project exciting and expected it to be an immediate huge success. Boy was my assumption inaccurate. It has been a slow start. All over campus I see so many east Asian students walking around with one another and speaking in their native language. Seeing so many foreigners would have made for easy access to subjects for this project.
So far, I have completed an interview and photograph collection from one foreign student studying here at SLU, and she was initially a student at the Madrid campus now completing her degree here. She is originally from the Philippines, and she at first served as my interview pilot tester. She has also proven a good connection as she knows a couple other foreign students on this campus.
I have recently learned that on Tuesday evenings there is an "intercambio" session in the BSC where foreign students can sit with native speaker volunteers for an hour just to practice their English skills. To gain access to this group, as an intercambio volunteer is a possible way to gain access to some more research subjects.
I decided that I want to do a research project about foreign students at SLU: a visual ethnography through photographs.
Just last semester I was a foreign student studying abroad, although when we get down to it, SLU Madrid is an 'American' university where 400 of the 600 students are visiting, 'study-abroad' students from all over the U.S. And about half of the permanent students are U.S. citizens that are enrolled in SLU Madrid but 'live in' and are from the United States. So, studying abroad in Madrid is not a true and total culture shock and as 'foreign exchange' as it can get.
I also lived for a year in Ecuador as an exchange student (in 2004) so I for one consider that type of immersion, where I am clearly out of my 'American' element and fellowship much more 'foreign exchange' than attending SLU Madrid. I have in my mind an idea of what it should/could be like to be a foreign student at Madrid, and who might qualify as a foreign student: a semester-only or year-only visiting student that is permanently enrolled in another university in another country, and who speaks English as a second language.
I really like all things international--people, language, and culture, so I should have found this project exciting and expected it to be an immediate huge success. Boy was my assumption inaccurate. It has been a slow start. All over campus I see so many east Asian students walking around with one another and speaking in their native language. Seeing so many foreigners would have made for easy access to subjects for this project.
So far, I have completed an interview and photograph collection from one foreign student studying here at SLU, and she was initially a student at the Madrid campus now completing her degree here. She is originally from the Philippines, and she at first served as my interview pilot tester. She has also proven a good connection as she knows a couple other foreign students on this campus.
I have recently learned that on Tuesday evenings there is an "intercambio" session in the BSC where foreign students can sit with native speaker volunteers for an hour just to practice their English skills. To gain access to this group, as an intercambio volunteer is a possible way to gain access to some more research subjects.