Blog #1 Um,Hi. My name is..

Yes it sounds cliché but I am definitely looking forward to meeting international undergraduate students from other countries as a part of the chat circle. As an international student myself, I know the tribulations of trying to adjust to a new culture and the difficulty of engaging in a conversation in English. The benefit of studying abroad here is the chance to meet people from other countries and getting to learn about their culture and language, something which I love to do since I cant afford to travel the around the world yet. I want my session to be dynamic and full of energy. By the end of the semester, I wish to see all my attendees being friends with one another, if not with me. What better means to unite with one another than to have a common foe to fight against (or at least complain about). These are also my reasons to become a chat cafe facilitator in Sweetland as well.

What I am worried about is what the students expect a chat cafe facilitator to look/sound like. Since I am a non-native speaker, I speak with an accent and that is something I believe might steer away some students from attending subsequent sessions. This sounds pessimistic but it is something I had already faced before in my life. However, I aim to change the misconception of what an 'American' sounds like by giving them exposure to the vernacular formed from different cultures. I want to show them how English itself is not bound by standards just like any other language. There are differences and I want them to know that through my sessions.