My name is Sarah Shorter and I’m really excited to be a content writer and curator intern with EdOdyssey this summer! During my first three years at the College of the Holy Cross, my double major in Anthropology and Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean studies has increased my appreciation of global cultures. This interest led me to study abroad with EdOdyssey in Lima, Peru, where I matured academically, socially, and personally.

At some point in their academic life, all students feel the pressure of learning different sets of verbs and their conjugations, grammatical rules, and practice-scenarios. It is not uncommon to have heard of a friend who felt so anxious with the workload that they decided to withdraw from a language course altogether. This doesn’t have to happen that way. There is a better way to easily speak and understand other languages.

Our immersion programs are an intensive, authentic look into another country, language and culture which make it extra important for students of all ages to go into their trip abroad with an open mind and ready to take on each activity. However, this collective challenge of jumping into an unknown place gives each student an amazing opportunity to embrace new experiences.

My name is Liam Grady and I as I prepare to graduate from Saint Rose in New York this May, I’d like to give you an idea about how my summer immersion trip to Peru changed my perspective, challenged beliefs/possible biases, and just opened my mind to the beauty that is present throughout the world.

When you hear the phrase “language learning”, how many of you think about your past language classes? Have you ever judged your own ability to speak or learn another language based on your grades in those classes?