Why the Language House?

• It is a program dedicated to helping individuals branch out and truly experience and appreciate another language/their language to an extent beyond that provided in the classroom.

• It’s as close to language immersion as the real thing … good alternative to or preparation for study abroad.

• Most people in the house know when to work and when to play.

• The plethora of events notwithstanding, the people themselves are inherently interesting. Of course I expected a common interest in the language, but as a physics major, I wasn’t sure whether I would share many intellectual interests with the others. Now, living amongst philosophy, history, and psychobiology majors, I realize I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only have they opened my eyes by sharing their interests, but they are great company and fun to be around. Most everyone who lives here is interesting and willing to share experiences and opportunities. I am not sure you’d find the same style of persons just anywhere on campus.

• BUY ONE, GET FIVE FREE! Chance to chat with people who are learning other languages to pick up some words and ask questions in their target language(s).

• The great sense of community of all the residents as well as the opportunity to practice the language.

• Meeting people from different culture(s) and speaking different languages.

• Better organization, members who care and don’t make excuses.

• The Language House has delivered on all its promises. I’ve made new friends and felt a sense of community and I’ve certainly improved in my target language.

Delicious Conversations over Dinner

• My favorite component by far is the regular dinners.

• Dinners certainly encourage me to use my target language the most. I’m still very new to (the language), and it is often very difficult for me to hold entire conversations. With dinners there is always something on my level to talk about, be it the food, my day or other basic conversation pieces.

• One of the most touching moments in the Language House was when a newcomer to (a Faculty Dinner Night) said that she felt as though she was improving her speaking by merely sitting and talking to me. This was a comment which made me immensely happy …

• Dinner events probably encouraged the most speaking, because then everyone is involved in conversation.

• I like the dinners with our faculty the most. Being in such a small house, it is always nice when we have more people to talk with. These dinners do a good job of attracting other students who either study (the target language) or are native speakers.

Enjoyable Weekly Programs

• (S)ome particularly memorable times were cooking crepes in the kitchen, walking down to the Commons, going to see a play in Collegetown, performing in the Talent Show, watching films with fellow residents and with the French Cine-Club, and dinning with Einaudi speaker Laure Delcour and French mathematician Michel Balinski. I also enjoyed touring the Lafayett exhibition with fellow residents …

• African storytelling in French was really fun.

• (It) is a great experience to be able to watch ART (Arabic channel) and have the Spanish House cooking quesadillas in the same room!

• The activity I enjoyed the most was the one where we practiced Chinese calligraphy.

• Playing games and sports was fun, and definitely promoted conversation.

• The events I enjoyed most involved going to culture events hosted by other Cornellians. All activities encouraged me to use my target language.

Fun-Filled House-Wide Programs

• I found the house-wide programs to be very enjoyable and a great opportunity to meet everyone in the house.

• The Talent Show was an extreme success – I admired for three hours the performance of every single [section]. It made me feel like a part of a more special type of community and I felt truly proud to be a member!

• Oktoberfest/Pumpkin Carven-nival promoted a sense of art and competition …

• Latin-Israeli Dance was quite interesting, as I was exposed to foreign music and learned some simple dances.

• This year, I had friends all over the house and I know that the talent show contributed to this. I would definitely recommend it for the future.

• … Great bonding time

• I love them! And my only suggestion is that there be more of them.

Memorable Trips

• New Orleans The sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of New Orleans have left an imprint on me that is almost tangible. I know that the incredible vibrancy and passion of this city will stay with me and manifest in my outlook for years to come until they may hopefully be reawakened by a return to the beautiful city of New Orleans.

• I loved the trip to New York City. It was like a mini trip to Japan. I kept having to remember to speak English to shop keepers and strangers, because I got so used to speaking in Japanese to everyone.

• I have expected Beijing to be more focused in preparing for the Olympics as in building Olympics infrastructure and focusing on Olympics related industries and advertisement, but instead its citizens seemed to be more interested in the developments of their daily life …

• Dubai shows no plans of halting its ambitious endeavors despite the controversy over Emiratization and the displacement of the Bedouin culture. Cranes loom overhead and the din of construction reverberates through the city. As we packed our bags the final day, we all contemplated the nature of progress. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

Wonderful Native Speakers (NS)

• Absolutely wonderful! Very dedicated and always trying to teach us new things.

• (NS) creates a wonderful atmosphere for learning and living.

• (NS) may be the most enthusiastic in the house, from teaching us (ethnic) dance steps to making sure we know what’s going on.

• (NS) helps a lot with understanding cultural idioms and expressions.

• (NS) encourages the usage of the target language, from speaking with us to writing most of emails in (the target language) … even if you bump into her on campus …

• (NS) sends us many “reminder” emails well in advance so we can make arrangements.

• (NS) is awesome … goes out of the way to help us...

• (NS) is very enthusiastic about finding related events for the House to go to and ways in which we can add to our understanding of the language and culture.

• (NS) is open to ideas about conversation hour events; actively solicits inputs regarding the activities and is always excited when we take initiative to organize programs.

• (NS) does a great job in all areas. I have nothing but praises …

...And Exceptional Faculty Fellows

• (FF is) exceptional … attends weekly meals … leads creative language activities … always available throughout the day if I have questions … amazing knowledge about culture and language and genuinely wishes to share it with students.

• (FF) is knowledgeable, a lot of fun and easy to talk to.

• I enjoyed the (FF’s) presence at meals. I also appreciate that ... other professors come as well …

• Helpful, friendly, and engaging … informs us of programs of interest at Cornell. Time is best spent when we engage in games in the target language, since they are both fun, educational, and keep everyone involved.

• (FF) is really great … brought a lot to the program. Kept in touch with the (target language) speaking community and always invited new people to the faculty night dinners.