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Fulbright Scholars at Georgia Southern

Olga Sciuchina

Fulbright visiting scholar for 2018-2019 academic year on Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University.

Permanent position – Associate professor, head of the English Philology Chair, Pridnestrovian State University, Tiraspol, Moldova.

Area of research – linguistics, methods of teaching foreign languages, Phonetics and Phonology, Lexicography.

Kaoutar Loukili

Kaoutar Loukili is a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from Morocco. She came to the U.S. in August 2018 to teach Arabic language at the Georgia Southern University Statesboro campus. She is also a cultural ambassador that teaches about the the Arabic culture and, on a more specific level, Moroccan culture.

Quotes:

“My experience teaching my culture and learning the native culture of Statesboro has been enriching. Since Arabic is considered one of the hardest languages to learn, it surprises me how motivated students are to study the language, and how they are eager to discover the Arab world and connect with its community. Moreover, being responsible for cultural activities helped me understand my culture and see how beautifully exotic it is.

One of those activities was Arabic coffee hour; a weekly event where I deliver an educational presentation about interesting cultural aspects of the Arab World. In this hour, students come together to drink Moroccan coffee and practice what they learnt through games or artisanal activities related to the theme of the presentation. Some of the activities I did were displaying Moroccan items in the Unity Festival at Georgia Southern and International Festival in Statesboro. I wore my traditional clothes such as a caftan. I also did workshops such as belly dancing and henna, which students were very happy to take part in. I also held three cooking workshops where students and Arabic club members learned about Moroccan food and drinks. Each month, I hosted Arabic movie nights. We chose the movie based on the theme of the month, such as a romantic movie for Valentines. My involvement opened my eyes to how important this program for Georgia Southern. Learning about other culture is vital for students’ and people’ lives, since it positively influence their views and perspectives as well as corrects stereotypes.”

In addition to working with the Arabic Club, I had the opportunity to audit some classes at Georgia Southern University. This contributed a lot to my experience, because I had the chance to learn about the government and the educational system of the United States. Attending classes not only contributed to my learning process but also allowed me to build positive relationships with professors and classmates.

To conclude, Georgia Southern University broadened my horizon to seeking knowledge at the societal, academic, and global level. Being here emphasized many valuable lessons such as patience, discipline, organization, and perseverance. It made me think about ideas for my project to teach English to build a cultural bridge between my culture and the American culture.”

– Kaoutar Loukili

Moutaz Abu Ismail

Arabic Teaching Assistant from Palestine

Quotes:

“I had a really good time at Georgia Southern and the great hospitality of teachers and professors. They were very cooperative and trying to provide help as much as possible. The activities made by Russel Union are nice and gave us a chance to engage more with American students. We also had a chance to show our own culture and teach them some of our different ideas and thoughts. Moreover, our auditing classes are useful which taught us how does the American class look like.

I am so thankful for [Georgia Southern’s] great hospitality and generosity. We will be the EAGLES of this world.”

-Moutaz Abu Ismail

Last updated: 1/11/2021