Monday, February 15, 2010

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!


In addition to working for the Admissions Office - first as a tour guide and now as an intern - I've worked for several other departments on campus. Just like Nichole, I worked as an Undergraduate Advisor for the Office of Residential Life. I organized study breaks and put on events for my residents in an effort to make sure they had access to all of the different resources at Dartmouth. One of my favorite programs was a panel discussion on Study Abroad opportunities with students and faculty from all over campus. The event was catered by a local restaurant and drew an impressive crowd of East Wheelock residents. Another one of my favorite programs was a bit more low key: a bowling night in White River Junction! It was a great event because it allowed my residents to get to know each other better in addition to relaxing after a stressful exam period.

As a native-french speaker, I've also worked for the French Department as a Drill Instructor. Dartmouth is globally renowned for its language program, which was originally developed by Professor John Rassias for the US government. It basically consists of 1) classroom instruction with a Dartmouth professor who stresses grammar and writing as well as 2) morning or evening speaking sessions with a current Dartmouth student who puts an emphasis on vocabulary and pronunciation. I think it's a fantastic teaching method because it really gives students a chance to embrace a new language beyond the textbook. The college offers a wide variety of foreign languages, including everything from Arabic and Chinese to French and Italian. The Rassias method itself is quite entertaining because drill instructors are highly encouraged to "act out" some of the words they require students to say.

Picture Courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dartmouthflickr/3728425396/

No comments:

Post a Comment