(gentle music) (camera beeping) (gentle music continues) (uplifting music) (uplifting music continues) - "Eye On Education," I'm Fred Martino.

The Center for English As a Second Language at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is the third oldest certified intensive English program in the United States, supporting generations of students.

Today, we are going to meet one of those students, Yacine Youssouf Rachid Mohamed of Comoros, and the instructor who helps make this all happen.

We've worked with him for several years, Geoff Young, and I am so pleased, Geoff, that you are part of this program today.

It is amazing to have you here, amazing to have all these students here.

- Yeah, yeah, I'm really happy to be here, Fred.

I've brought a couple students around for a tour.

I'm really happy to be on the other side of the desk now.

This is cool.

- And I know this makes a huge difference for these students, getting the chance to use their English skills in an intensive way, not just in the classroom, throughout the community, even doing interviews like we are today.

- Yeah, so this current program that you're talking about, it's called the Community Engagement Program, and the whole idea is, exactly what you said, to get students sort of outta the classroom and interacting with members of the community.

So, it's not explicitly a language class in the traditional sense.

The idea is more to build their confidence and proficiency and willingness to communicate, so, it's pretty cool.

I'd love to tell you more about it.

- And as much as this program offers the students, it offers so much back to us in this community, the amazing opportunity to meet students from all over the world.

We're going to have several programs again this year, this being one of them, and Yacine, we appreciate you so much for being part of this program today to share a little bit about yourself- - Thank you.

- And your decision to apply for this program.

- First of all, I'm glad to be here today, it's a pleasure.

My name is Yacine Youssouf Rachid Mohamed, and I come from the archipelago of Comoros.

So, I majored in Computer Science and Information Technology back in India, and I'm intending to pursue a specialization, a master of specialization, in the University of Missouri in Data Science and Analytics.

As a Fulbright nominee, I was actually conveyed the opportunity to pursue this program, and as I used to think, and always say, there is always room for improvement, so I just decided to jump on the opportunity, and here I am today.

- And it is so good to have you here, so good to hear how you've also been having the chance to volunteer throughout the community.

Tell me some highlights there.

- The community engagement we got at the CSO is quite unique, and I really like it.

It's a very fantastic opportunity, as we get to meet the local community.

We've actually met different organizations so far, eight organizations, if I recall properly.

Among them, Herrin House of Hope, Green Earth, Voyage, Start also.

It's amazing to meet people from different backgrounds, immerse myself in the American community as well.

- And immerse is a good word.

Geoff, that has been one of the things I have been most impressed about.

Each year, when you bring these scholars to the TV station, the radio station, they have the most amazing questions about broadcasting and life in the United States.

It is invigorating for me to meet them and to hear their stories and try to share a little bit about life here and learn about their lives and their countries.

That must be, I would think, rewarding for you, not only personally, but then seeing that interaction, not only here, but throughout the community.

- Yeah, yeah, invigorating is the word you used, it's invigorating for you, equally for me.

Probably more for me, because I get to spend all this time with them.

- A lot more time, right.

- Yeah.

And Yacine won't toot his own...

Excuse me, Yacine won't toot his own own horn in this way, but he mentioned he's a Fulbright scholar.

I mean, all these Fulbright students that we have, they're brilliant, they're absolutely brilliant.

So I get to work with him all the time.

And, as you said, getting them out into the community, interacting with people.

I mean, a lot of people in Carbondale are surprised to learn that we have this huge wealth of international students here studying at SIU in our program here at CESL, and also doing their masters, and, you know, undergrad, graduate degrees as well.

But yeah, it's completely invigorating, and I love every day of my job.

- Yeah, I bet you do.

And I always look forward to this.

Yacine, being multilingual is an incredible benefit.

Tell me how it has helped you personally.

- Back at home in my country, we have three national languages, actually, Comorian, French, and Arabic.

So I was not, I did not really have the opportunity to learn English.

But then when I went to pursue my higher studies in India and I started learning English, doors opened to me opportunities, and among them being actually a Fulbright nominee, Fulbright candidate.

I believe being multilingual allows you to opens doors for you and opportunities which people do not really get in life.

Languages is a medium that can be used to bridge gap between cultures and opportunities, so, so far English and French are the languages that I've acquired along my lifetime allowed me to get many opportunities, which I'm confident and grateful for.

- I really appreciate that answer.

And it really tells that story of how valuable this is.

Geoff, as someone who's an instructor who works with students in the university, this is something I've done for my entire career and value so much.

And one of the things I often think about is that many years ago I had an opportunity, as a professional, to spend several weeks in Germany, and was amazed when I went to Germany to find out that all of the young people I met there as part of that visit, not only spoke German and English, but very often, at least one other language.

So, there were many students who were multilingual in three languages, pretty much all students, two languages.

We do not have this in the United States.

There's a certainly very small percentage of students who even learn another language other than English to be fluent in that language.

Tell me your thoughts on that and why it might be a good idea for more students to be encouraged to be multilingual and gain those skills in our need to understand each other, learn about other cultures, and have this skill.

- Yeah, can I ask you where you were in Germany?

I'm only curious.

- I was in several cities in Germany, in Berlin and in Dresden and Hamburg.

It was an amazing experience, an exchange program, actually.

I'm glad you asked, because it's not only for professionals, but it had expanded recently to students, and we did have an SIU graduate get to spend their summer three weeks after graduation going to Germany as part of this funded program, which is about exchange.

- That's marvelous, yeah.

- It's marvelous.

- Fantastic.

Well, I think you had asked about, you know, what's the big draw for learning a second language in the United States?

You know, there's not as much of a focus of it, on it as there is in other countries.

And, yeah, I mean, you make an interesting point.

In the United States, we, driving down the street, most of our signs in most parts of the country are just in English.

But, you know, you do see in parts of Florida and California, you see, Texas obviously, all along the border, you see more of an increased demand for Spanish fluency.

And that's only going to increase as the years go on.

Up, you know, towards Canada we have obviously more French, but beyond all that, there are cognitive benefits to learning a language, to learning a second language, at any age in life, too, by the way.

People have this impression like, oh, I'm, you know, I'm in my 20s, I'm in my 30s, I'm in my 50s, I can't wrap my head around learning another language.

And it's really becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.

- Mm-hm.

- Getting out of your comfort zone, recognizing that when you get started in learning a new language, you're not gonna be good at it.

But, man, I'm sorry, but the author's name is slipping me right now, but there's a quote that I love.

- Well- - And it's "Language is one of the only things worth knowing poorly."

(Fred laughing) Somebody can fact check me on that quote, but it's true, though.

You know, if I'm going to Japan for a business trip or something like that, and I don't speak any Japanese, it would benefit me greatly just to learn, you know, please, thank you.

- Yeah.

- Count to 10.

Ask important questions, things like that.

And, you know, I don't speak the language fluently.

You know?

Or competently or confidently.

But if I have a little bit of the language, it can go a great way.

- Yeah, and there are so many tools now, even on our phones, where we can help build those skills by saying something in English and then hearing it in another language to practice that.

Yacine, your thoughts on what parents can do to encourage their children to learn another language.

A lot of motivation and lessons, of course, as you know, start in the home.

- I believe childhood is crucial moment when it comes to learning.

One of the ways I will suggest for parents to make their children learn a new language is to have them have an early exposure of foreign medias.

For those who can afford to do it, let them travel abroad in order to immerse themselves with communities out there.

That could allow, just as I did, if I recall properly when I was traveling to India, I didn't know how to utter not even word in English.

But then when I got there, I started learning, I started talking, I started interacting in English, and within a span of a few months, I was actually able to talk to people properly.

Traveling is quite a unique experience that can allow children to broaden their horizons and learn a language more easily.

Nowadays we have applications in our phones.

We have the world in our phones, actually, so we are able to actually access to an immense and huge library of medias just in our pocket.

And parents can also, yeah... As an avid reader, I really enjoy reading.

I think reading also can accelerate the process of learning a new language, which I would suggest parents to do, actually, for their children.

- Yeah, it's a great, great way to do that.

Geoff, do you have other thoughts on that, and parents who may be watching or grandparents who may be watching, to encourage young people to pursue another language?

- Yeah, I think Yacine covered a lot of the basics, the things I would've mentioned.

I would add that just kind of what I said earlier about having confidence in the language, being comfortable with expressing yourself and recognizing that you're not going to be perfect right away.

I think that can be done through lots of different extracurricular activities.

So, building the confidence might also come with enrolling your child in sports, oddly enough.

But like, you know, the confidence there would hopefully, the idea is, transfer over into language expression.

Yeah.

- So important.

And I'm glad we were able to share that with any parents or grandparents who are watching.

Another thing that I'm grateful we're able to share that Yacine mentioned, is, in addition to learning another language, if possible, to study abroad.

When I was in college as an undergraduate, it's something I wanted to do, it's something I thought about doing, but I didn't have the financial ability to do it.

And there was no outreach where I went to school to encourage students to do it and to pursue scholarships.

I think here there's a culture of encouraging it, making students available, making them aware of availabilities to travel abroad, study abroad.

And I would describe it in life, not just in academics, but in life, as a transformative experience.

What are your thoughts on that?

- I was very fortunate myself to study abroad.

I was a junior in college.

I studied in Austria, so I'm not gonna ask you to speak German with me.

(everyone laughing) - I think that- - You won't get much.

- Nobody needs to hear that.

(everyone laughing) For my sake, too, though.

(laughing) But, yeah, absolutely, transformative is the word.

- Yeah.

You know, I came back from that.

I just had three months in Salzburg, and I went there, kind of similar to what Yacine was saying.

He went to India without really any English.

Right?

- Not at all.

- Yeah, and that was kind of how I was, when I went to Austria.

I had started maybe reading comics or something in advance, but I think I watched like some kids shows for the simple German before I left.

- Mm-hm.

- And I didn't really have much interest in foreign language and learning a language at that time.

It was just kind of like, I was more keen, I was a music student, so I was more keen to go to Salzburg where Mozart was born.

And then I got kind of... That was fun for me, but man, the confidence that came from just three months of getting around.

- Yeah.

- Just doing everyday things.

I remember years later I needed to make a negotiation with someone in Serbia.

I needed to make a negotiation with someone in German about me putting my tent, I was at this festival, me putting my tent in their yard, and I hadn't used my German in years, (chuckling) but like that was an accomplishment.

I remember feeling like we came to this arrangement that, you know, it was really a, I was like, "Wow, that was empowering," you know?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Truly, truly something.

Yacine, what has it meant for you to be able to study abroad?

Tell me about experiences that you've had here and elsewhere and what it's meant to you.

- Just as you mentioned it, I mean, traveling is a transformative experience.

I believe the Yacine from 10 years ago would be really surprised to see me now.

(everyone laughing) I would say traveling allowed me to enhance and develop my critical thinking and be more tolerant.

And be more tolerant, especially when you actually experience other's cultures, you have to get into their skin and understand how do other people feel like.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, it's really important, and my experience so far here in Carbondale, especially with diligent professors like Geoff, allowed me or gave me opportunities to get to meet people who do not have the same, who do not actually have the same opportunities that we have.

So I get to see life through their lenses, which is really, which is incredible.

- Yeah.

- So, yeah, overall I would say that traveling is, it's important.

I would recommend anyone who can to travel and get to meet new people, network, and it's a very funny and happy experience.

- Uh-huh, I bet in your life, after having the chance to study abroad, that you're now thinking that when your schooling is done, this will have to become part of your life for your vacation time to be able to go and travel around places you haven't been or revisit places you where you have been.

- Yeah, for sure.

I would like to travel every day (laughing) and meet new people.

It transforms, I mean, traveling transforms you.

- Yeah.

- And you find, you may find home elsewhere.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Not back at home.

- I would add to that, that I've got a second family in India, and I would have never expected to have them or to meet them in my whole life, so- - They stay in touch?

- We still stay in touch up to this day.

- Oh, that is wonderful.

- He really loves to travel.

We had one week off between terms, man, in one week he went to Chicago, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, New York.

- Washington, yeah.

- Oh my goodness.

(indistinct) - In one week.

(laughing) - And recently Paducah.

- And Paducah after that, yeah, so, I just couldn't believe it, and all that in one week.

I was- - Wow.

- Exhausted just hearing it.

- Yeah.

(laughing) Very different places.

- Yeah.

- Geoff, this is a tough question, but I want to ask it.

I think it's a more important question than ever that, you know, this traveling and learning another language are valuable period and always have been, but especially at this moment in time and knowing that in our culture, in the United States, young people grow up with a sense of American exceptionalism, which sometimes doesn't necessarily encourage the exploration of other countries and other cultures.

And it is that there are positive elements to pride and patriotism is important, but if we don't, if we go through that in life and don't experience other cultures and other countries, that can be a loss for a young person and for a culture.

- Yeah, so, your question, I'm sorry.

- Your thoughts.

Your thoughts on that.

- My thoughts on that.

I mean- - I think- - Yeah, yeah, I think there's an important distinction between patriotism and nationalism, and I think there is, you know, a sense of pride that one can have in one's country with the realization and acceptance and acknowledgement of the fact that this ain't the only way to do things, right?

- Yeah.

- Like we have- - [Fred] And we can learn from each other.

- Innumerable cultures around the world.

- That's right.

- Innumerable languages, and different ways of doing things.

And I think that's why, if I could talk about this Community Engagement Program, kind of as a way to answer your question.

- Yeah.

- So right now the students are involved in this Community Engagement Program.

It's a three-week experiential learning course.

They spend the first two weeks going to different organizations.

We went to your WSIU last week.

- Mm-hm.

- That was one such instance.

They spent half the time volunteering, half the time in the classroom in more of a traditional sense talking about the visits.

And in the third week they return to an organization of their choosing to go back and do some independent volunteer work.

And I think that is, that's so integral to the success of the program, because it gives them that sense of empowerment.

Like, they need to plan their own arrangement to go back, and I'm not there.

I just drop them off.

And they don't have me as an intermediary if there's a kind of issue of any kind, if there's a breakdown in communication of any kind.

And I think that is so valuable for the students.

But going back to your question, so valuable for the local community.

- Yeah.

- Because there's just, it's brief.

I wish it could be longer, I really do.

But just that interaction, just seeing, just kind of recognizing at a fundamental level we're more similar, all of us, than we are different.

- Absolutely.

- Yeah.

- Yacine- - I hope I answered your question.

- You did.

Yacine, I am told that 80% of graduates in this English as a second language program go on to other degree programs at SIU, and of course, some elsewhere.

Tell me about your thoughts of the role of programs like this, in encouraging additional opportunities for education, and tell us about your plans.

We have about three minutes left.

- Oh, actually, CESL is an amazing opportunity.

As I mentioned previously, I would encourage anyone to learn English.

- Yeah.

- And these programs are really unique 'cause they allow people to actually enhance and develop intensively their English skills.

We've got really great professors there, Mr. Colin, Kathryn, Geoff, and other staff who are really helping us towards achieving those goals, by, I mean, enhancing our English.

I'm going to give, we as Fulbright, there are Fulbrighters who come here in the U.S. directly starting their graduate program without actually having the opportunity to immerse themselves in this kind of programs.

I myself have been really lucky to be able to be part of this and get to know how the system works, how people think, how the educational system is actually architectured.

CESL is unique.

I can't even, I don't even have the words to describe it, but it's a very unique experience that allows people to, to enhance their critical thinking, as well as Geoff mentioned it, the experience itself is incredible.

- Mm-hm, and your- - Is incredible.

- Next degree will be?

- In Data Science and Analytics in the University of Missouri.

- Okay, very exciting.

- It's a field related to machine learning and artificial intelligence as well.

- Important.

- One minute left, Geoff.

- I just wanna kind of bookend what Yacine said about our center, the Center for English as a Second Language, here at Southern Illinois University.

I mean it as sincerely as possible, it's the best job I've ever had.

- Yeah.

- And I think, (chuckling) I say it enough to my colleagues that it must ring true at this point, but really, the caliber of the students that come through our program, that come here with the express intent to improve their English and to integrate themselves into our local culture, even if it's just for a few months- - Yeah.

- What was the word you used?

Exhilarating?

Yeah, yeah.

- It is invigorating.

- Invigorating, that was it.

Yeah, well it's exhilarating, too.

- Meeting students like Yacine- - Yeah.

- Students from Japan, from China.

- Yeah.

- Meeting students from Pakistan, all over the world during this visit.

And it's like that all the time.

We're out of time.

I got 12 students from seven countries right now.

- 12 students from seven countries.

- Best job in the world, right?

Geoff, it's amazing.

- It's so cool.

- Thank you, Fred.

- Thank you both- - Thank you for having us.

- For being here.

- Appreciate it.

Thank you at home as well.

I'm Fred Martino, for all of us at WSIU, have a great week.

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