During the summer, Poly students traveled abroad to visit places like Japan and Spain to overcome cultural boundaries and further improve their foreign language skill.
Four students traveled to Japan along with Watson Sensei as ambassadors for the Tomodachi Initiative. The program focuses on bringing together American and Japanese students together through a cultural exchange program that was set up after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
“The purpose of the trip was to allow the students to see the devastation in Japan firsthand and to bond with their home-stay family. They will share their experiences of their Japan trip with the other language students,” said Japanese 5-6, 7-8, and AP teacher Susan Watson.
The students stayed with their host families and toured the entire island of Honshu. They also participated in the relief efforts of Japan by cleaning up the beaches and to learn more about the impact that it had on Japan.
“My favorite part of the trip was the home-stay. I got to be part of a Japanese family for a little while and it was eye opening. It really showed me that although there are so many cultural differences, we are all just the same. I still stay in touch with my host sisters and will keep them in my life for years and years to come,” said senior Milada Cook.
Two students from the Spanish language program also visited Spain for a month long stay, specifically in the city of Salamanca, using this summer as a chance to further their Spanish language skills and to learn about Spanish culture. The trip was planned by the Magellan Study Abroad program, and scholarships were offered. The groups of students were selected from all around the United States, stayed with their host families for three weeks, and traveled to cities around Spain during the final week.
They attended language school for four hours a day—speaking entirely in Spanish—and went out on excursions during the weekends, visiting various natural and cultural landmarks in Spain. The students also attended ceramics class, flamenco, and salsa classes as well as a cooking class.
“It was very enlightening trip. It made me realize how important it is to learn a foreign language,” said senior Meghan Boterenbrood.
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