I came into Plymouth State wanting to be in the Interdisciplinary Studies program. Since high school I have been torn between teaching, traveling, and Spanish, so I thought, why can’t I do all three? The classes and focus areas included in my program will fill gaps by working together as one whole program, truly being interdisciplinary. The goal of my program outcome is to be able to teach English abroad, work with international students in the US, and develop/observe study abroad programs in colleges, school districts, and private companies. Using a combination of languages and linguistics, travel and tourism, cultural and international studies, and education courses, I have created the ideal major for me entitled Global Educational Studies. The main focuses of my program are the TESOL certificate program, Spanish language and culture classes, and international relations. Together they will help me reach my goal of teaching abroad and having all of the necessary skills that it will take to have a well-rounded understanding of these disciplines and how they work together.
The following courses included in my contract are the courses required for the TESOL Certificate: LL 3300 Foundations in Multilingual Multicultural Studies, LL 4100 TESOL Methods and Practice, LL 4300 Literacy and Language Learning, LL 4820 Language assessment, and LLDI 2950 Language Acquisition, which falls under my Scientific Inquiry Direction. This certificate will give me the appropriate skills needed to teach English to foreign speakers. Falling under the language and linguistics portion of my Interdisciplinary program, I will take LL 2000 Introduction to Language and Linguistics as my QRCO to give me a base of understanding how other languages are connected and formed. ED 2200 Using Technology to Support Teaching and Learning as my TECO will teach me techniques that will be helpful when using technology in a classroom environment.
I have a passion for the Spanish language and cultures, by including it in my program I will improve my communication skills in Spanish needed for understanding future English students, and being able to communicate when traveling, working or teaching. SP 3120 Spanish Culture and Civilization will teach me about cultures in Spain while also improving my speaking abilities as the class is instructed in Spanish. IS 4370 Hispanic Culture in the United States is important because of the continuing growth of the Hispanic population in the US, and the many students that I will potentially work with who have a Hispanic background. SW 3480 Exploring the Dominican Republic will give me the chance to travel internationally, be immersed in the Dominican Culture, and learn hands on by helping others.
Global awareness is important for any job, but especially when working with international students. IS 4360 Cultural Diversity and American Society will go in depth on the history of the cultural diversity in our society, and how it has developed today. PO 3250 Model United Nations will explore the different topics that are internationally prominent and how these issues are discussed and resolved within the UN. HI 3767 India and the World will give me a broader outlook on how one of the most populated countries and its relationship to the world. TMP 2750 Introduction to Travel and Tourism can give me a foundation on travel and tourism and can be applied to studying abroad. By having a solid understanding of Global conflicts and
cultures I will be able to apply those to teaching in different cultures, and helping students decide where they may want to study abroad. IS 3003 Interdisciplinary Studies Practicum will give me the opportunity to work directly with the Global Engagement Office to practice a combination of these skills in a special project designing potential programs and working with prospective study abroad students.
The last portion of my program is a built-in International Internship. Through CISAbroad I am planning to go to Ecuador for 12 weeks for an internship in the education field. The internship will consist of 12 elective credits along with 3 credits of LL 3400 Foreign Language Project, where I will tie in the TESOL and Spanish components. This experience will combine all of my main focuses of TESOL, Spanish and Global Awareness. This internship is projected to be completed in the spring of 2018.
I have a strong passion for international social work and social injustices and I hope to get involved with the Peace Corps or another non-profit/volunteer teaching program after graduation. No other major at PSU could prepare me for the many things that I want to do in the future. With the three components of TESOL, Spanish,
and International Relations, the transition of volunteering and working will be much smoother. My overall goal for this program is to get a job working for a company or university, eventually coordinating study abroad and exchange programs, and hopefully being able travel and observe programs around the world to make improvements for future students and educators.
Update, January 27, 2019:
For an update on my Intellectual Journey Through Interdisciplinary Studies, please go to this link.