Study Abroad

Michigan State University has added yet another component to its already impressive menu of international education options for undergraduate students. To better prepare students for the study abroad experience, the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), in spring semester 2001, launched the new course AL 200: "Cultural Difference and Study Abroad," with the broad aim of helping students develop the necessary skills for becoming "culture-learners." The course is taught by Inge Steglitz, associate director of the MSU Office of Study Abroad (OSA), and was developed by a team comprising Steglitz and three CAL administrators-Wendy Wilkins, dean, Pat Paulsell, associate dean, and Lyn Durán, study abroad coordinator.

The idea for the course originated in discussion within International Studies and Programs and with several MSU colleges about the need for MSU to improve study abroad pre-departure preparation for students. The course emphasizes students' development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and ways of thinking that will help them get the most out of their experience abroad. It also offers the tentative study abroad student the opportunity to explore the idea of studying abroad and the concept of culture in a nonthreatening environment.

Offered for the second time in fall 2001, the course attracted 33 students, ranging from freshman to senior level and representing a wide range of majors. Within the overall framework of introducing students to different ways in which culture has been defined and studied, the course provides an overview of the important role an international experience plays in students' undergraduate education. Students also learn about different study abroad models and options.

The course focuses on dimensions of cultural difference and the cultural aspects of study abroad, aiming to make students aware of how cultures differ and how they, as individuals, are influenced by culture. The ultimate course objective is to help students begin to develop the skills they need to function successfully in multicultural settings. Students are also introduced to the important role study abroad can play in facilitating the development of such skills. Specific topics covered include: conceptualizations of culture, dimensions of cultural difference, methods of culture learning, issues of intercultural communication, the relationship between culture and language, the role of stereotypes in intercultural interactions, and criteria for choosing a suitable study abroad program.

Reflecting the integrated nature of international education efforts at MSU, the course brought in a number of guest lecturers. Their presentations highlighted the pervasive presence of culture in all aspects of human functioning and provided students with a sampling of international/intercultural activity at MSU.

On the basis of feedback about the spring pilot class, the course was modified slightly and earned very positive evaluations in the fall 2001 semester. Feedback from fall participants suggests that students find the course useful both in opening their eyes to the possibility of study abroad and in their more general exposure to the concept of culture as it affects individuals.

OSA will track study abroad participation by students who have taken the course and plans to survey them about the role the course played in their decision making about, and preparation for, study abroad. Initial data are promising: So far, 50 percent of students in the spring 2001 class have participated in a study abroad program or will do so by the end of summer 2002.

AL 200 is scheduled to be offered again in fall 2002. -Inge Steglitz