Perspectives Summer English Language and Cultural Studies Programs: Points to Ponder John Taplin and Lynn Wyton InrecentyearstherehasbeenasteadyincreaseacrossCanadainthenumber ofshort-termprogramsinEnglishlanguageand culturalstudies. Typically, these programs are run in the summer months for groups ofstudents from non-English-speakingcountriesforperiodsrangingfromthreetosixweeks. SuchprogramsprovidevisitingstudentswithEnglishclasses,aswellas the opportunityto learnaboutCanadianculturethroughfield tripsandaccom modationinhomestaysoron-campusresidences. Despitethegrowthinthenumberandvarietyoftheseprograms,thereis little literature on the issues associated with the administration of such programs. Although we stress that each program must be examined in its owncontext, we wish to highlight a number offactors for considerationby administrators and instructors who are operating, or planning to operate, suchprograms. The Context We begin with an overview of the two programs with which we have experienceattheUniversityofLethbridgeinsouthernAlberta.Thefirstisan "exchange" in the truest sense. As a component ofthe twinning agreement that was signed by the governments ofAlberta and Hokkaido in 1980, our universityandaprivateJapaneseuniversityhoststudentgroupsof15-20for short-term visits. In alternating summers each university sends a group of students to the other for three weeks oflanguage and cultural studies. The hostinstitutionalsoarrangeshomestaysforthevisitingstudents. Thesecond programhas run eachsummersince1991.AJapaneseChris tiangirls' highschoolsendsa groupof30-32students agedbetween15and 17 years with two accompanying teachers for three weeks of English lan guage study and experiences in Canadian culture. These students are also accommodated in local home stays, which are coordinated by a group of localchurches. Motivation Theparticipatinginstitutionssharethedesireforstudentstohaveapractical and positive language learning experience. Classroom instruction is aug mentedbytripsto localpointsofinterestorfurther afield. Undoubtedlythe TESLCANADAJOURNAUREVUETESLDUCANADA 67 VOL.12,NO.2,SPRING1995 greatestinsightintoCanadianlifeisofferedbyhomestayfamilieswhoallow studentsto participateintheir lives ona dailybasis. FortheJapanese this is an integral component of short-term programs. For the Canadian hosts, as well as the visiting students, there is an opportunity to exchange cultural information. Infact the interculturalawareness thatisfurthered atthecom munitylevelisoneofthemostpositiveby-productsofsuchprograms. . Several factors motivate institutions to become involved in short-term programs for groups. The laudable goal of promoting international under standing and goodwill has to be considered in the light of realistic budget expectations. These expectations are dependent on the nature of the rela tionship with overseas institutions and the role such programs play in the cbntextofalanguagecentre'stotaloperation.Althoughtheoverallintention is to ensure a quality experience for all participants irrespective ofthe pro gram, there are different aspects to an administrative arrangement that is characterizedbya businesscontractrather thanonethatexists as partofan exchangeagreement. Administration Asinanybusinessarrangements,theinitialtermsforsettingupashort-term program are vital to the establishment of working relationships between institutions. The nature of both the agreement and the contract in the first instancecreateaprecedentforcontinueddealings.Negotiationswillbecome complicatedifeitherparticipatingpartydesirestomakesignificantchanges to the arrangement formulated for the first contract. Cultural dimensions will affect business negotiations from the start. In the Japanese style of business,moretimeisspentonconsensusbuildingthanisusualintheWest. Asthiscanbealengthyprocess,administratorsofshort-termprogramsmust allowsignificantlead timefor planning. Once the working relationship has been established, it is undesirable from the Japanese perspective for major changes to be implemented in subsequent years. Administration of such programsis mostintensivein thesummerjustpriorto and while the group ishere. Severalotherissuesalsoneedtobeconsideredintheadministrationofa short-termprogram: • Isaninstitutiondealingdirectlywiththeinstitutionsendingthestu dents?Ifanotherpartysuchasatravelagencyisinvolved,triangular ratherthanbilateralarrangementswilltakemoretime. • Istherefulldisclosureofallthedetailsofthearrangementsbetween thekeyplayers?Whatlevelofbudgetspecificitywillbeprovidedto thesendinginstitution?Ahighlyspecificbudgetprovidedtothesend inginstitutionmayleadtolengthydiscussionsabouteachlineitem. • Howflexible willaninstitutionbeinrespondingtorequests?Wehave found ithelpfultoformulate acontractwiththeJapanesehighschool 68 JOHNTAPLINandLYNNWYTON inwhichweoutlinespecificallywhatouruniversityisresponsiblefor andwhatthesendinginstitutionmanages. Thusthereisacleardemar cationofresponsibilities. Avoidingfatigueforallparticipantsfrom boththehostandsendinginstitutionisaprimaryconcerninprogram planning. Itisalsoimportanttorememberthatthereareparticulardynamicsatplay when programs are run for students who are not part of an institution's regular enrollment. A helpful article that was published recently in Australia's ELICOS (English LanguageIntensive Coursesfor Overseas Students) AssociationJournal noted that, "Unlike students, paying clients are not fully absorbed within the institution and can therefore exercise rights which are not subject to systems of institutional control" (Crichton, 1994, p. 10). In short-termprogramstheclientroleismostvisiblyrepresentedbytheaccom panying teachers, who have key responsibilities as chaperones. Generally, whentheyarrive,theywishtoconfirmthearrangementsbetweenparticipat ing parties. Thus it is important to address these concerns in the context of thecontractwiththesendinginstitution.Coordinationwithhomestaysand keenattentiontomyriaddetailsconcerningtheinstructionalandoff-campus components ofthe programarevital. Becauseofthe numberofplayersina short-term program and the involvement of people from the surrounding community, any mistakes tend to be highly visible. The implication is that attentionto detailiscrucialtoaprogram'soverallsuccess. Staffing The focus in this section is on the level of staffing that the host institution requires. Ourexperiencehasbeentohostnomorethan32studentsandtwo teachersatanyonetime,although,insummer1994wehosted twogroupsin aconsecutivesix-weekperiod.Thechallengesinoverlappingtwoprograms just on one day increased our work load significantly. When hosting a greater number of students and/or operating more than one short-term programsimultaneously,institutionshavegreaterlogisticalconcerns. Weadvisethoseresponsiblefor asummerprogramtoconductaninven toryofalltheinstructionalandadministrativeneeds.Aswellasanadminis trativecoordinator,ithasbeenextremelyproductiveforustohireafull-time undergraduate student for the projects. We have found that students who have intercultural experiences and interests, as well as career goals in ESL, aresuitablefor working with visitingstudents. Thetime spentin traininga student can be amply rewarded, especially if a student can be hired over consecutive summers. Also helpful are SEED and STEP grants that the federalandprovincialgovernmentsmakeavailableforstudentemployment. We have found it beneficial to keep administrative and instructional dutiesforstaffdistinct. Asourinstructorsworkwiththevisitinghighschool studentsanaverageoffourhoursadayintheclassroom,theydonothavea TESLCANADAJOURNAUREVUETESLDUCANADA 69 VOL.12,NO.2,SPRING1995 lot of time to be involved in the planning of the other activities. However, communication among all staff members is essential, and a brief troubleshootingsessionbeforeeachday'sprogramisadefiniteasset. Astaff that is clearon its roles and approaches activities with a spiritofcollabora tion and a sense of humor is as important to short-term programs as to programsingeneral. Curriculum Institutionsthatsendtheirstudentsoverseasfor short-termprogramswant learning experiences that willaid the maturation and Englishlanguageim provement of their students. This has been borne out in our experiences working with two Japanese institutions. Japanese high school students usually have at least six years ofexposure to English language instruction. BecauseofculturalpatternsoflearningandthefactthattheylearninanEFL context,they tendtohaveapassiveknowledgeofEnglishwithanemphasis onformal grammar. ThuswhentheyarriveinEnglish-speakingCanadathe Japanese students are beset by the full implications of English language immersion. The realities of the short-term immersion experience drive curriculum choices. Largely as a result of the orientation they have received before leavingJapan,wefindstudentsarereceptivetonewexperiencesandwaysof learning. Nevertheless, program planners should not overestimate the im pact ofclassroominstruction. Thereis no question thatwhat studentslearn intheirhomestays,inbothalinguisticandaculturalsense,stayswiththem astheirmostcompellingmemoryoftheirtimeinCanada.Inourcurriculum wehaveattemptedtoprovidestudentswithlanguagetoolsandstrategiesto help themcopewithliving with English-speakingfamilies. Inaddition, the cultural content ofafternoon activities is reflected in the classroomlessons. We feel it is important to expose students to the multicultural realities of Canada. Forexample,whenstudents experience aspects oflocalnative cul ture on field trips, they are prepared through a basic orientation in the morningclasses. Inessence,thecurriculumhas anexperientialbasis. As statedbyEyring (1991), "ProVidingrealorquasi-reallifeexperiencesallowsmoreopportuni tiesfor languagelearnersto receiveinput. Interactingand cooperatingwith others allows opportunities for feedback on one's own language learning andhumanizesthelearningprocess" (p.347).Insmallerclassesthantheyare usedtoinJapan,studentspracticefunctionalandrelevantEnglishwitheach other. The instructors encourage the students to take more risks with the language so that they will feel more comfortable with their use of English outside the sheltered confines of the classroom. Students also respond en thusiastically to computer-assisted instruction, especially in tasks such as drafting letters inEnglishto their friends through the use ofword process- 70 JOHNTAPLINandLYNNWYTON ing. Somewhat surprisingly, our students have had minimal experience of thisinJapan. Instructors must be aware that fatigue may impinge on the students' classroom performance. As anyone who has experienced a new culture knows, there is a certain level of exhaustion that accumulates from a com binationofjetlagandnovelstimulicrowdingthesenses.Itisimportanttobe realisticaboutwhatthestudentscanaccomplishinashortperiod. Safety One ofour overriding concerns when planning the curriculumfor our pro grams is safety. Understandably, host staff, parents, and Japanese chaperones are concerned for the security ofthe students on their overseas adventure. In planning both programs we attempt to strike a balance be tweeninterestingeducationalexperiencesandsafety.Thehighschoolgroup demands particular care as the students are younger and the traditional Japaneseemphasisonsecurityisevenmoreacutewhenwomenarepresent. Toalleviateconcernsweattempttoexerciseextracautionwhenplanning the cultural studies program where some attractive but risky options are available for activities. Rather than a rafting trip, then, we have planned more sedate hikes by the sideof a river or lake. Transportation for these eventsoffersa potentialproblem,whichwe trytoalleviatebyusingprofes sionaldriverswheneverpossible.Theyareaskedtoexerciseextremecaution whendrivinginordernottofrightenourguests. Furtherchallengescanemergeifvolunteersareincludedintheprogram. They will need to be informed, for example, to take extra care when using theirownvehiclesand to adopta morecautiousstancethannormalevenin mundaneactivities.Althoughvolunteersareusuallyinvolvedinsomeofthe morerelaxedactivities,theyneedtoknowthattheyalsofulfillasupervisory roleintheprogram.Thusourprogramaides receivealistofguidelinesthat helps them to remembersomeofthe details for which theyare responsible. After using these procedures, we can say with some confidence that no Japanese student ever traveled in a volunteer's car without a carefullyfas tened seatbelt. Ultimately, such practices canassistinavoidingembarrass ingorupsettingsituationsduringavisit. Home Stays The organization of home stays adds significantly to the administration of the program. Programplanners should address two main questionsonthis issue: Who is responsible for the home stay component? Will home stay familiesbepaidtocovertheircosts,orwilltheybevolunteers? Both of the projects with which we are associated have a home stay component, but, as mentioned above, the responsibility for organizing the billetsiscompletedbyalocalcommunitygroupforthehighschoolstudents. TESLCANADAJOURNAUREVUETESLDUCANADA 71 VOL.12,NO.2,SPRING1995 Acomparisonoftheworkloadforthetwoprogramsclearlyrevealsthatthe time spent arranging the home stays for the university group is approxi matelyequalto thetime required to organizetherest ofthe program. Espe cially in the prearrival planning stages, accommodation arrangements requireconsiderabletimeandenergydedicatedtoadvertising,selecting,and informingpeopleofourexpectations. Maintainingcontactwiththosebillets andtheirguestsoncetheprogrambeginsthenrequiresregularcommunica tion with a varied group of people who justifiably demand a good deal of attention. Because so much of a program's success depends on a pleasant homestayenvironment,weconsidertheenergyweputintothiscomponent ofourprogramstobeavitalinvestment. Cultural Factors Anyinterculturalexperience includes elements ofuncertainty. Ona leisure tripthismaymeanmissinganexitonanunfamiliarroadway.Thestakesare considerably higher, though, in an intercultural business venture where personal and professional reputations can affect interactions. The discus sionsareoftenfurtherinfluencedbytheanxietythatbothsidescanfeelwhen attempting to arrange an agreement with few personal or cultural ties be tween parties. Ironically, the parties may inadvertently worsen tension by the very mechanisms that they use to ease the inevitable feelings ofworry and doubt. To illustrate, it takes some patience on the part of a typical Westernertositquietlyinmid-meetingandwaitforaJapanesedelegationto build consensus for a major decision. In the same way, Japanese visitors mightfinditdifficulttounderstandwhytheirCanadiancounterpartscannot accommodatetheirrequestsformeetingsthatrunintothelateevening.Such examples do not depict culturalaffronts; rather, they highlight some ofthe dailycross-culturalstressorsthateachpartyexperiences. Eventually, such seemingly insignificant events can strain both parties and compromise the vital goodwill in a program. To prevent this situation wehaveprimarilyusedtwostrategies,thefirstofwhichreliesoncommuni cation. To begin with we attempt to communicate with our visitors just where our programboundaries are set. In specific instances we may make exceptionstotheseparameters,butavoidingfatigueincludesknowingwhen topolitelyrefuserequests.Wealsotrytodeveloppurposefulcommunication among the host staff in order to proactively diffuse potentially difficult situations. Byattempting to predict such possible trouble spots before they occur, and discussing those concerns with colleagues, some healthy cross culturalcopingtechniquesemerge. Thesecondsetofcross-culturaltechniquesisbasedonbuildingstronger personal bonds between staff of the various institutions. Shortly after the arrivalofthegroup,forexample,wemeetinamoresocialsetting.Thismight includeadinneratarestaurantandatourofsomesitesofinterestinthehost 72 JOHNTAPLINandLYNNWYTON city. As the program develops we look for more opportunities to build understandingbetweenvisitingand hostingstaff. Inviewofallthedifficul tiesthatcanemergeincross-culturalnegotiations,networkingofthisvariety canfoster valuable patienceand trust thatcanbecriticalintimes oflimited understanding. Giftsfor thestudentsandaccompanyingteachersatthebeginning, mid dle, andend oftheprogramcanalso refreshvisitorsduringa visitand take the edge off some of the stressors mentioned above. In our programs we attempttoofferpracticalgiftsthatcoincidewithaneventinthecurriculum. For example,UniversityofLethbridge ballcapswere a significantaddition to a day spent visiting a nearby lake and, judging from the pictures we received of the students on their return to Japan, were valued personal souvenirs.Thesepersonaltouchescanbebuiltintotheprogrambudget,thus allowing them to be positive experiences rather than expensive program additions. The result ofthese and otherinterculturalcommunication strategies is a healthyrelationshipbetweenhostandvisitingstaff. Conclusion Clearly, there is no blueprint for running short-term English language and cultural studies programs. While emphasizing that the particulardynamics atplaywithanyspecificgroupmustbeassessed,itisimportanttoremember the plethora offactors to consider. Intimes offiscal restraintadministrators maylooktoshort-termprogramsasameansofprovidingbudgetassistance to theiroveralloperation.Itis important,however, to lookatallthe dimen sionsthatuseuptimeandotherresourcesinplanningaqualityprogram. Hosting international guests is an honor for an institution and its sur rounding community.Itisalsoa considerablepleasureto workwithyoung people during a particular period ofexploration and wonder in their lives. Wehopethatbyoutliningsomeofthesegeneralpointswecanassistadmin istratorsandinstructorstomanagequalityprogramsintheirowncontexts. Note AnearlierversionofthispaperwaspresentedattheATESL1994ConferenceinEdmonton. The Authors John Taplin and Lynn Wyton both work at the English Language Centre, University of Lethbridge.JohnistheCoordinatoroftheCentre;LynnisaninstructorandSummerPrograms Coordinator. References Crichton,J.(1994).Studentsasclients:Consequencesfortheconstructionofteachingroles. ELICOSAustraliaJournal,12(2),8-16. TESLCANADAJOURNAUREVUETESLDUCANADA 73 VOL.12,NO.2,SPRING1995 Eyring,J.L.(1991).Experientiallanguagelearning.InM.Celce-Murcia(Ed.),TeachingEnglish asasecondorforeignLanguage(pp.346-359).Boston:NewburyHouse. Runswick,S.(1993).ThelanguagelearningstylesandperformanceofJapanesespeakers. ELICOSAustraliaJournal,11(1),94-103. Withey,J.(Ed.onbehalfoftheCanadianChamberofCommerceinJapan).(1994).Doing businessinJapan.Toronto:KeyPorter. Woollacott,M.(1995,January29).Anationoutsidelookingin.GuardianWeekly,152(5),p.7. 74 JOHNTAPLINandLYNNWYTON