Dozens of Rice students travelled to eight countries last year, earning course credit through the Center for Language and Intercultural Communication’s Rice in Country program.
Hélade Scutti Santos, director of language instruction at CLIC, said the Rice in Country program was piloted in 2015 to add depth to students’ language learning experiences.
“The idea was to integrate immersion into the language courses so that students could experience the language and the culture that shapes it and the society in that country,” Santos said.
Over time, each Rice in Country programme developed its own requirements and objectives based on the need for more advanced language instruction, Santos said.
“The initial programme was very standardised across languages … but as the programme evolved, we realised that some changes could be made or that we could adapt the programmes depending on the language,” Santos said.
Atira Aidarous, a Rice in Spain participant pursuing her CLIC certificate in Spanish, said the curriculum for her programme, which focuses on health professions, and the six-week programme length were part of the reason she applied.
“I thought the length of the programme would be really good,” said Aidarous, a junior at Lovett College. “I’m hesitant about a full semester commitment because it’s hard to be away from home.”
Caro Signoret, a French major who studied abroad in France, said her previous experience with the language moved her to return.
“I have about 12 years of experience with the French language, and I lived [in France] for nine months [during] my senior year [of high school], so it was a longing to go back and explore different parts of the country,” said Signoret, a Brown College sophomore.
Although many students want to go abroad, financial difficulties can be difficult to overcome. Santos said CLIC offers scholarships to students to help alleviate these concerns. CLIC provided nearly $200,000 in funding in 2023, and Santos said she is requesting more money from Rice.
Henry Mansfield, a Baker College sophomore who studied abroad in Japan and is pursuing the CLIC certificate in Japanese, said the scholarship he received allowed him to study abroad without worrying about the financial burden.
“If I hadn’t received this scholarship, there would have been a chance that I wouldn’t have gone on the programme because of financial concerns,” Mansfield said. “It might have made my experience in Japan less enjoyable, because the feeling of not having financial freedom might have made it more difficult to have fun and immerse myself in the culture.”
One aspect of many Rice in Country programmes is homestay, where students live with host families rather than in hostels or other accommodation. Although not all programmes have implemented this practice, Santos said that homestay provides a connection to the local culture that cannot be replicated.
“Homestay] gives students the experience of how family life works in a country, so it’s a very interesting cultural experience … and that can be used as part of the classroom discussion,” Santos said.
Mansfield added that the homestay provided unique opportunities to overcome language barriers and connect with members of the Japanese community through small moments of cultural appreciation.
“I had a five-year-old host daughter, and she loved fireworks, which is a very common Japanese experience, taking out these sparklers and waving them around on summer nights,” Mansfield said. “I was able to be part of a traditional experience and feel like I was making a connection with this five-year-old girl who later said, ‘I’ll never forget your smile. I was just glowing.”
Aidarous said the everyday moments of exploring the streets of Pamplona, Spain, were the most enriching of her time abroad.
“I was just happy to explore a country on my own,” Aidarous said. “I felt like I was pretending to be a Spaniard for six weeks … and I got to speak Spanish all the time, which was my favourite part because I don’t get to practice my Spanish at all [in the United States].”
Signoret said she would tell students who are considering applying to study abroad to go for it.
“I’ve never met anyone who regrets studying abroad,” Signoret said. “They always say it’s either the best experience of their life, or that maybe they didn’t enjoy it as much, but they still learned a lot from it.”
In addition to improving language skills, study abroad programmes can provide students with a unique perspective on life, Santos said.
“The beauty of [study abroad programmes] is to see students change in the way they see things, see others, see themselves, see other cultures and their own culture,” Santos said. “That’s priceless … That’s why we’re so passionate about Rice in Country, even though it’s a lot of work and it’s intense, but it’s worth it. It’s totally worth it.
