ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Learning a second language has moved a long way from
the rote memorization of vocabulary and grammar of previous generations.
A group of Spanish language students at Grand Valley State University
have boosted their language and cultural understanding by using modern
technology to become virtual pen pals with college students in Colombia.
Maria Villalobos-Buehner, who teaches in Grand Valley’s Department of
Modern Languages and Literatures, asked for student volunteers from each
of her three beginning Spanish classes. The 18 students were then
paired up with students from an English language class at Universidad
Javeriana. Every week since January, the students compiled a list of
questions to ask each other, based on an area they are studying in their
class, such as college students’ daily routine and dietary differences.
Using free software from Skype, both sets of students spent an hour each
Thursday video chatting, devoting half the time to conversing in
Spanish, and the other half to English.
“The experience has yielded additional benefits for both sets of
students,” said Villalobos-Buehner. “It gives our students a taste and
interest in study abroad opportunities, as well as allows interaction
with students in a country where such visits are not currently possible.”
As the semester comes to an end, the Grand Valley student volunteers
will give presentations about their experience to their classmates on
April 15. Villalobos-Buehner hopes to continue the program next fall
with the same university or universities in other countries.
For more information, contact Maria Villalobos-Buehner at (616) 331-8503.
Virtual pen pals boost foreign language studies
Apr 3, 2008
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