On The Stage Forever

Pre-show jitters consume me as the red curtain opens, all I have worked for comes down to this moment on the stage. Before I walk on stage, I become someone else, I embody my character. When I walk on stage a whole new world surrounds me. I am someone else, I am somewhere I would never imagine being in. This fresh feeling of a new perspective fuels me through the show. I am glowing inside and out. I wish things could be this way all the time but someday you must come back to reality, someday that red curtain must close and your new perspective vanishes. I know those far-out places I perform in are not real, that is just the life of an actor, playing a part, but sometimes I wish that new perspective, the unfamiliar places would last forever. Unfortunately, living in the Midwest you do not get that fresh perspective very often. People mosey along through their lives, never thinking to look and find something new to explore, they are content with a plain lifestyle, but I am not. 

Imagine for a moment, that you were able to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go, what far-out places would you want to explore? Doesn’t the thought just consume you? I have found through studying world language and world culture I was able to turn my dreams of traveling to those far-out places into a reality. Now you may think traveling is time-consuming, but travel for me is not going somewhere physically, it is a mental action. Reading and studying a culture or place is some of the best travel I think I will ever have. Studying and understanding the culture and language of a place is so intriguing. Most people live their lives only seeing life through their own culture, they assume everyone shares the same attitudes and lifestyles, but through cultural study I have found a whole new perspective. When I play a character that is not me, it is someone different through my own eyes. People live and act so differently around the world and it is astounding how different someone’s life can be from your own.  

Now you may ask, why should I study a world language and cultures around the world? Culture is one of the greatest mysteries in the world. You never really see anything different from your own culture until you let yourself enter a situation where you must be immersed in a different culture. It is quite difficult to achieve this in a small Midwest town like mine, but even taking a world language class can open the door to those amazing cultural mysteries. World language classes open your eyes to questions you would never think to ask yourself. They open a door that leads you to a new perspective and world, like a play, a new place, and a new perspective but it is all on one stage. You would never think you could go on an adventure across the world sitting at your desk in a classroom.  

Why is studying world language and culture so important? World language and culture education are immensely important to the progress of society. Imagine a world where everyone did the same thing all the time, wouldn’t that be boring? Diverse cultures allow you to ponder what others do and how people in a different environment interact. World language allows you to become a better citizen of the world and pushes you to be a better person. This helps you consider others and understand how someone may be different from you, not only someone right next to you but across the world helps you to build empathy and compassion. World language also requires higher-level thinking skills, you cannot form sentences of a different language automatically in your mind like how you could add 1+1. Higher-level thinking through world language helps you develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Lastly, world language and culture can help you build relationships with not just the people around you, but also people across the world, making lasting connections with others that can last a lifetime. The knowledge you gain with learning world languages and cultures can make that feeling of new perspectives and unfamiliar places to see, last forever. Curtains up, let the show begin, what worlds and perspectives will you see on your journey? 

Let us assist in planning your next immersion experience and help make it accessible to all of your students! We have many destination options for Language Immersion programs worldwide. Necessary traveler protections for teachers and students are already integrated into our programs too!   Contact us today!