In response to Michelle Friedman's article, "Why Going Abroad Just to Have Fun Isn't Worth it," in the Sept. 21 issue of the Daily, we would like to let underclassmen know that everyone has their own reason for deciding to go abroad.
Collectively, we studied in Paris, Florence and New Zealand. We each chose our destinations for individual reasons, but had in common the desire to experience and live some place new, while having the times of our lives. Ms. Friedman singles out Australia as a party destination without considering the fact that going to the beach and having a Victoria Bitter with some mates is often a staple of everyday Australian life. Who's to say there's much difference between hanging out at an Australian beach, sitting on the shores of Barcelona or visiting the French Riviera? Partying is a worldwide occurrence and not a phenomenon of English speaking countries.
We want to inform students considering study abroad of the benefits of all the programs available to them. No matter where you study, the experience is what you make of it and what you choose to take from it. Each and every country that students can travel to has unique and invaluable lessons available to those who are willing to seek them out. Rather than focusing on the similarities that a country has to the United States, such as language or a television program, it is important to look outside of the box. How, for example, do locals react to the same episode of "The Simpsons?" How do they interpret the innuendos? Do they laugh at the same jokes we do?
Familiarizing oneself with, and joining in, the social aspects of life in a foreign country are some of the most important ways in which to understand one's host country. Learning does not stop when you enter a bar. Talking to a local about the day's football match is as educational as reading a book.
Ms. Friedman seems to diminish the experience of students who choose to study in English-speaking countries and implies that the cultural richness of these nations is not as enlightening as others where English is not the primary language spoken. Language does add a unique and important quality to study abroad. However, there is no void left in its absence.
It seems that a grievance expressed by Ms. Friedman about Australia was her constant contact with Americans and the English language. If going abroad only to focus on language is your intent, then you are wasting your time and money -- you are better off going to Anna's Taqueria and ordering your burrito en Espa?±ol (and you might even get yourself a discount). But seriously, language immersion is an important reason to study abroad. However, it should only be one facet of your time away.
Going to a place that does not have an obvious language barrier does not mean that large cultural barriers do not exist. One has to get past the idea that English is only spoken in the United States. Just like a Midwesterner calls soda, "pop," the vernacular English changes from place to place. During Leigh's first few weeks in New Zealand, she felt as though she was immersing herself in a kind of foreign language, similar to how Kate felt in Europe. Do you know what gidday means or what a capsicum is?
While we are not trying to devalue Ms. Friedman's personal study abroad experience, we feel that it is important to emphasize that there is no right or wrong reason to go abroad. Any reason that takes you out of your comfort zone and onto that flight is valid in itself. Whether you plan on visiting every museum in Rome or riding every wave in Sydney, all that matters is that you are there living it to the fullest.
