Students' Voices
"If you are interested in American life, culture, and language, and if you want to know more and more about America, you will enjoy LEPP. You won't only strengthen your language but also you will also exchange information about cultures, customs, traditions, and daily life. When I first met Amelia, I was so confused about how to deal with an American person and how to transfer my culture and my language to her, but I think now it is so easy and interesting. We always talk about interesting topics. Once I asked Amelia if life in an American high school corresponds with what we see in TV and films. She explained everything to me clearly. We also talked about beautiful places in America and in Egypt. It was an amazing day, and I invited Amelia to spend many weeks in Matrouh where I live; she promised me she would come. On another day we talked about the Egyptian revolution and the Arabic spring. As for language, I have learned many English words, which I had never heard of before in my whole life. Abdalla, our other group member, and I have also taught Amelia how to speak Arabic like a real Egyptian. She has learned kishta, hazabet and many other funny words. Finally, I have really enjoyed this program so much, and I want to recommend it to you. I'm sure you will enjoy it."
Aya Samy Ahmed
"I knew about it on the first day of the AUC orientation. The idea was awesome, and I liked it. At once, I went to the library and filled the form for the LEPP (Language Exchange Partner Program). After I had waited for a month, finally, the supervisor sent me an email. In it she told me that I was going to meet with an American student called Robert, who was not only a colleague but also became my friend. Robert wanted to improve his Arabic as I wanted to improve English. I found it an amazing opportunity for both of us. Although I was nervous and afraid from the meeting, I learned that there is nothing wrong about not knowing, but the real shame is not trying to learn. I found the meeting quite interesting and informative. We were only meeting once a week, so there was not any waste of time. The program is not just about students meeting formally in the university for talking. There was also the entertainment part such as the felucca ride. Robert, other foreign students, two teachers, and I went, and it was fun. We talked, played around, and ate food. It was one of my best days in my life. We pushed each other to be not only better students but also to be better people. Thus, I say that you should better sign for that program now."
Mohamed Hany
"I would recommend this program to my friends, and anyone who has trouble fitting in. When I first signed up for the program I thought it would be a good way to improve my language skills, but after the first meeting with Eman I had a feeling it would be so much more rewarding. My feelings were right. I was able to improve more than my communication skills. Being able to get to know Eman over the course of the semester has been a delight. Since I'm so far from home, I feel lonely at times and I miss my four siblings. Knowing that there is someone here who I can talk to any time really helped me with homesickness. Our relationship has developed from language partners to family. I feel like she is my sister, and her family is my family. I was also able to meet with her friends, who accepted me immediately."
Dominique Williams
"I learned about LEPP during the beginning of the semester. I was interested in acquiring speaking skills; furthermore, I wanted to know about diverse cultures. Although I was eager to apply to the LEPP, I was also worried as well. To clarify, I was worried about if the LEPP would accept me or not because of the criteria of the selection. Ultimately, I achieved my dream to enter LEPP. After I conquered my fears about being admitted to the LEPP, I developed new fears, which included how to interact with a foreigner, how to communicate, and how to accept the marked contrast in our varied cultures. After being accepted, the program fought away all of my fears and presented Dominique as a gift. As I said before, I applied to acquire language skills; however, I share with Dominique a wonderful friendship. Moreover, our talks converted from focusing on language to private feelings and emotional bonds. Now, we retain close ties not because of helping each other in our studies, but we found plainly visible passion towards each other. We spend most of our time discussing proverbs, and we find that our cultures have a lot in common. We have discussed controversial issues, and we have accepted the different points of views. In short, not only can the LEPP teach you how to speak fluently, but it can also extend your range of knowledge; in addition to, making you fully appreciate various ways of thinking."
Eman Ibrahem Fawzy
"Through the exchange program organized between ELI and ALI students I had a very good experience; on one hand, I heard questions not only about the culture in Egypt but also about the Arabic language. These questions opened my mind to see points in my culture and think about how to express things in Arabic, like that the Egyptian themselves express in English. Thus, the speech with my partner led to a comparative thinking between two cultures and two languages. On the other hand, I gained knowledge about the country of my partner in an easy way through our exchange program. The first thing comes to my mind when I think about the exchange time is the respect that we showed to each other. I encourage you to have such an interesting experience."