Students from Austria take opportunity to learn in America

For students occupying classroom 3113 in Faner the past three weeks, the distance between home and campus is not a mere walk or short car ride away – it is a 20-hour plane ride.

The vision of these students from Austria visiting the SIUC campus is one that Erhard Lick – a professor at Fachhochschul- Studiengange an Austrian university of financing, accounting, taxation marketing and sales in Vienna – had in mind after attending a 2001 conference of language.

Lick developed an interest in the American culture after his masters research in Miami. His interest was further sparked when SIUC instructor Catherine Wilhelm inspired Lick to visit the campus. He found particular interest in the campus system of the college and developed the idea of a program that would introduce Austrian students to America through such aspects as language and culture.

Lick hoped such knowledge would help students planning a career in which international relations would be necessary, and he thought a trip to the SIUC campus would aid on both a social and academic level. He hoped to provide students with a different learning environment, and through instructor Becky Pharis and the Center for English as a Second Language, and, for the first time this summer, the trip Lick envisioned was arranged.

Through informational e-mails, Lick was able to locate ten graduate students interested in exploring the United States on an academic as well as cultural level. The ten visitors, all graduate students in Business, will spend their five-week stay at University Hall.

Each day, students spend three hours in the classroom with instructor Catherine Caldwell, where they are taught the culture and policies of the English language. They are instructed through a series of lectures on how to improve their research writing skills as well as their English as a whole.

“The purpose of these classes is to improve language and show the students more about the way of life in the states,” Lick said. “A lot of them plan to work for international companies in the future, so this will be a definite help to them.”

While the visit aims to expand the academic knowledge of the students, it also hopes to show them what the united States has to offer on a recreational level.

In addition to the SIUC campus, students also visited Memphis, as well as several popular sites in St. Louis including a game at Busch Stadium and a visit to the brewery at Busch Gardens. During the remainder of their time here, they will visit Indianapolis and Chicago.

According to students such as Martin Drschka, a first-time visitor of the United States, these trips mean more than just a good time.

“The trip will help me in the long run,” Drschka said. “When I come to the states the next time, it will help me to be more independent.”

Another student in the program, Schein Ninan, says that while the classes will help to improve his English and writing skills, visits to shops and activities outside of the classroom are also beneficial.

“The other times I came here I was on a tour, so I didn’t get as much of a chance to observe day-to-day living,” Ninan said.

Though students say they have enjoyed what the United States has to offer as far as entertainment and SIUC as a campus, they are equally impressed by the friendliness they have experienced during their trip.

“There is a whole different attitude here than in Europe,” Drschka said. “When we were having problems with our car, people were very good about helping us. It’s much easier to start conversations with people here.”

Lick was also taken in by the “southern hospitality” he has experienced during his time here, and hopes to build an alliance with the university make this visit a yearly occurrence.

“I would like to emphasize how friendly people are here,” Lick said. “They’ve gotten lots of experience in American culture, and I would be happy to accommodate any SIU students wanting to visit our country.”