Earlier this fall, professors Lindsey Kasch and Ban Al-Saffar of the Conestoga Language Institute spent five weeks at the Universidad Católica de Manizales (UCM) in Colombia, teaching English on a faculty mobility experience. Kasch and Al-Saffar lectured twice a day, helping locals improve their command of written and spoken English.
“They put out an open call for the entire city. Anyone in all of Manizales, not just UCM, which was something that I really appreciated, that they're very collaborative,” said Kasch.
“They're all working together to improve the English of the city, so the open calls were for anyone who was interested in writing and grammar or listening and speaking.”
Kasch and Al-Saffar were selected through an application process, and spent five weeks teaching full English language courses. Al-Saffar said the reward was seeing students excel and build confidence.
“It was very humbling to us because some of our students told us that they have never had a conversation with native English speakers. However, they were very confident, and their English language proficiency level was really impressive.”
Al-Saffar also described how the experience in Colombia went beyond academics.
“It was really transformative and eye-opening,” said Al-Saffar.
“The city is magical, but the most exciting part was its people, who are so kind, so supportive, so open and so outgoing. Our students were great and the UCM staff were also great.”
Lindsay and Ban share more about their experience in this video.
The opportunity builds on a recent trip to UCM by professor Sara Connelly of the School of Health & Life Sciences, as well Conestoga’s partnership with UCM on the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program, an international network of virtual student exchanges, joint coursework and knowledge sharing.
“We’re hopeful that Lindsay and Ban’s recent experience helps build momentum for more of our professors to teach at UCM, both virtually and in-person, and share best practices, lecture to students and collaborate on projects,” said Mariam Raza, associate director, Global Initiatives and Partnership Development.
Raza and her team support the global initiatives and partnership development program that promotes international engagement and mobility opportunities for faculty and students. This year, 11 Conestoga faculty have visited partner universities in Netherlands, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and France, and approximately 40 students have participated in outbound study-abroad opportunities.
“Ban and Lindsey experienced cultural and academic enrichment in Colombia that will definitely be felt by their students at Conestoga. For instance, since they teach many international students at the Conestoga Language Institute, mobility experiences like this help improve their empathy and ability to relate to what their students are experiencing,” said Shawn Brake, executive dean, School of Interdisciplinary Studies.
The Conestoga Language Institute supports language acquisition and development at Conestoga through programs ranging from teaching and interpreter certificates to government-funded programs for newcomers.