|
The International Languages and Cultures
House (ILCH) is a living-learning community where St. Mary's students
live together with three TAs from abroad. In return for an opportunity
to live with foreign TAs, the St. Mary's students living in the
House agree to speak their language of study part of the time and
to organize cultural events for the campus community. Each semester
they receive one academic credit for their efforts.
What does living
in the ILCH do for you?
Living in the ILCH provides you with
an opportunity:
- to integrate your academic and
social life in a meaningful way;
- to have the opportunity of making
life-long friends who share your language and culture interests;
- to practice your language of study
on a daily basis with a foreign TA who is only slightly older
than you are and who is intimately familiar with the culture you
are studying in ways that might fascinate you but are not necessarily
part of any course work;
- to work with professors --especially
your faculty mentor-- in a setting different from the classroom;
- to represent your department on
important occasions (when job candidates come to campus, for example,
or when guests speakers or artists visit St. Mary's);
- to share aspects of your education
with the campus community and to bring the foreign culture to
life at your home institution.
How to apply?
The ILCH is a joint venture of the
International Languages and Cultures Department and the Office of
Residence Life. Faculty in the department start to recruit for a
given academic year during during January of that year. If living
in the ILCH appeals to you, you might want to discuss your interest
with your academic adviser, with the faculty mentor of the House
and with students currently living in the House.
Applications are due early in the
second semester. Applicants need to explain why they want to live
in the ILCH and what they would contribute to the House. Your application
is evaluated by faculty members in your language of concentration
and by Residence Life before offers are made. If you accept the
offer, you need to sign a contract and meet with the faculty mentor
and the other residents during the Spring semester to discuss tentative
plans for the coming year.
TAs come to us through the Institute
of International Education in New York. They are selected in April.
When is a good time
to live in the ILCH
This depends on your language background
and circumstances. If you begin your language study at St. Mary's
at the intermediate level and plan to go abroad during your junior
year, you might want to live in a House during your sophomore year.
It is hard to imagine a better way of preparing for study abroad
than by living in the ILCH. Living in the House after coming back
from study abroad would help you maintain your newly acquired language
skills and might also protect you from reverse culture shock. You
might also want to live in the House because the requirements of
another major or other factors prevent you from studying abroad
for any length of time. In that case, the ideal time might be your
junior year.
What should
you consider before deciding to apply?
Can you imagine sharing your house
for academic purposes? The ILCH is a semi-public space. On certain
occasions (events, visits of job candidates or guest speakers) students
are expected to make their living room available to a wider community.
Will you have enough room in your
schedule to spend a considerable amount of time at the house and
to organize events for the campus community? If not, you cannot
fully benefit from living in the House.
What do
students like best about the experience?
I loved living in the French townhouse
. . . I was given the chance to speak French on a regular basis
with a native French speaker! If someone is truly interested in
learning how to speak a foreign language, it is absolutely necessary
to have this kind of experience! Traveling abroad is best, but living
in the French townhouse can be almost as helpful as long as you
make sure to take advantage of the opportunity you are given to
speak French on a daily basis. The most exciting thing about learning
a foreign language is actually getting to use it. Even if you are
intimidated at first, speaking a foreign language with a native
speaker is rewarding and encouraging when you successfully overcome
the language barrier and are able to communicate. That was an honestly
thrilling experience for me. --Rebecca
David ('00)
What I liked best about living in
the French house--being able to speak French and share an enthusiasm
of the French culture that was not possible anywhere else in this
region. --Katy Arnett
('00)
A student perspective:
During the first year of the French
house, (I think) a bunch of people were pestering me to teach them
how to make crepes. When I finally had the time, I invited a group
over, and I proceeded to try to teach them. The evening was a lot
of fun, but I kept finding crepe batter all over the house for the
next week! --Katy Arnett('00)
Well, we had a wonderful cook living
with us, so the food was great, but I still laugh when I think of
one particular moment. We were preparing for one of the townhouse
events and I was standing in the kitchen with one of my housemates
and the French TA. We were talking, in French of course, and my
housemate made some comment about having to feed everyone for the
event. A strange look appeared on the French TA's face and she could
not keep herself from laughing. "What is it?" my housemate
asked. The TA replied that what my housemate had just said was that
she had to breast feed everyone at the event! --Rebecca
David ('00)
Picture gallery
The 2005-2006 International Languages and
Cultures House residents at the fall open house party:
See some pictures of life
in a language house (separate browser window, 325K)
See more pictures of life in a language
house (separate browser window, 98K)
|
