Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Foreign language program sends West Virginia U. students to Brazil
By Charlie Cunningham
The Daily Athenaeum (West Virginia U.)
02/20/2007

(U-WIRE) MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University's Brazil summer exchange program is a cultural experience that can never be duplicated in the United States, said Sandra Dixon, a professor from the Department of Foreign Languages.

The program is a linkage agreement with Universidade Luterana do Brazil in Canoas, Brazil. The program was established in 2004. Since then, about 14 students a year have traveled to the southern part of Brazil. ULBRA students are currently visiting WVU and studying in the Intensive English Program.

During the month-long stay, students take classes at ULBRA such as Spanish conversation, Latin American literature, Brazilian culture and elementary Portuguese. Students can earn up to six WVU credits.

"Experiencing the culture firsthand is the best way to learn about it," said Joseph Ducatman, a student that traveled with the program last year.

Besides taking classes, students can also sightsee while in Brazil. In past programs, students traveled to Gramado and Canela, Brazil, two towns that have a large German and Italian influence. They also went to a wine country called Bento Goncalves. One of the highlights of the trip was a soccer game.

"The passion of Brazilian football fans puts the Mountaineers, or any other sports fans in the United States, to shame," Ducatman said.

For this summer's trip, the group plans to spend the last three days of the trip exploring Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Besides learning and sightseeing, the group had a chance to interact with the locals and the students found the elementary Portuguese extremely helpful.

"I made many friends while in Brazil because the people there are very friendly and they are interested in knowing Americans," Ducatman said.

He also added that he still keeps in touch with the people he met in Brazil.

Students must meet certain prerequisites in order to participate in this adventure. Students must have successfully completed two semesters of Spanish, 101 and 102, and also attend two orientation meetings and a survival Portuguese language session. They must also pay a deposit.

"(Orientations are used) to give a primer to the culture," Dixon said.

The orientations give information about how to stay healthy while in Brazil and include a lecture from the university's international programs department.

"The best reason to go is not academic, but personal. Your view of the world and life could change through the experience," Ducatman said.

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