Blog #2: Meeting the Ling Family

     Yesterday as I walked up to the apartment of the the Ling Family I was feeling nervous and didn't have much idea of what to expect of my first visit with this refugee family whom which World Relief had paired me with. Luckily the volunteer coordinator from World Relief, Kelly, was there to put my mind more at ease. So together, along with my partner Liz, the three of us prepared to meet the Lings. We were welcomed into their home effortlessly and exchanged names and greetings. Mr. and Mrs. Ling (Lion Ling and Ester) and their two children Cindy and Ram are quite the lovely family and I am so happy to be working with them. After saying hello to the children, they went off to play and the rest of us sat down on the floor to begin learning together. The first thing we did was go through picture cards and assess the skills the couple had in reading and comprehending English. They have only been in the United States a short time and were doing very well at picking things up. Next we went through addition flash cards, and while math is said to "be the same in every language" it can still be difficult to translate, however both Lion Ling and Ester did great with the flash cards. We also helped them be able to write down all their personal information, things such as name, address, birthdate and phone number. Finally we started working on money and that where we will pick up on my next visit.
     The most difficult thing about the culture difference is the language barrier, yet on our first visit with the Lings it was amazing to see how hard they worked to get things right. Ester was constantly asking for spellings of words and she wrote many things down. It made working with them so much more enjoyable knowing that they wanted us to be there and wanted to learn. We also made light of the language barrier and  any mistakes that someone would make; just laughing about it constantly and this made it so much less frustrating for everyone involved. To make the experience fun for everyone we also would stop to ask the Lings questions of what certain words meant in their language and they would laugh when we messed up as well. So While they learned what a "vase" is, I was learning that "[ha-coum]" means spoon...and I will have to learn how to spell it too!
     Due to the small group and quiet space there was not much noise in the environment to interfere with communication, again language and interpretation of gestures and facial expressions was they key to our cross-cultural communication. We used interactive strategies- communicating directly with one another as opposed to merely observing. With similar helpful attitudes everyone involved was able to have a positive and productive visit.
     What I learned from this very first visit with the Lings is that cross cultural communication, even when trying to teach a language does not have to be frustrating, instead it can be exciting and a very eye-opening experience. Now that I have met the family and spent time with them, I know how they communicate and how to be mindful of their culture as well as their needs. I can see the signs of interpersonal dialectics and hopefully watch them as they cross over from protective to expressive, autonomous to togetherness and even novelty to predictability. I hope that with each visit I will become closer to the Ling family and also become a more competent communicator.

Blog #1 : Pre-Service

• What are your hopes for the service-learning project?
•  As a sophomore Psychology student at St. Ambrose University, I can only hope that my time as a volunteer at World Relief will impact the lives of the people I spend time with in a positive way. I hope to use this amazing opportunity to give back even a small fraction of what I have been fortunate enough to have been given in my life so far. I am thrilled to be able to meet and just engage in life with refugees from a culture so different from my own, and to be able to lend a helping hand. I hope that out of this journey as a World Relief volunteer I will gain new friendships and a new first-hand perspective on intercultural communication.

 

• What are your assumptions about your service-learning site?
• I assume that the home of the refugee family I will be working with through World Relief will be a peaceful environment, calming and serene as to make the family feel welcome into their new home. I also assume that everyone I meet will share the same enthusiasm as I do about the volunteer work they are doing; that they will be sincerely compassionate about the families in the program.

 

• What do you already know/or assume about the work they do?
• I already know that World Relief takes in refugee families from various countries/cultures and provides them with the shelter and materials they need to begin a peaceful life here in the Quad Cities. As I volunteer I know I will be helping the family with whatever they need to get accustomed to life here. I will be doing things such as help the family learn English, helping them move into their new home and learn the lifestyle, and just spending time with them and bonding with them so they feel comfortable here.

 

• What do you know/or assume about the population they serve
• I know that the refugee families that arrive here have been forced to flee from their homes and some are coming from refugee camps as well. The family I work with may consist of parents and children, young adults or possibly the elderly. I know that many of the refugees that come to the Quad Cities are from Bhutan, Burma, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq. I assume many of them know little English and will experience a major culture shock when they settle into their new homes. However I also assume that they will be eager to start their new life in the QC and will work hard to make the best of their situation.

 

• What connections/interests/passions do you have for this site or the population it serves?
• I have always been eager to learn about and connect with people from cultures other than my own and to hear their stories will be truly enthralling. I think World Relief is an amazing organization that is doing remarkable things for the refugees that have no where else to go. It is a very selfless thing that they do and I am very pleased to be able to be even a small part of it. People fascinate me in all the ways they can be similar and yet so unique, and the compassion they can show to each other regardless of these differences.

How service relates to learning

         Service provides a hands on approach to learning and allows for experiences that can not be found in any classroom or textbook. Service not only lets individuals learn about the particular service they are engaging in but also about themselves. It is the real world application side of education and relates more to life-long learning that a simple assignment for class. Many things can be achieved through service and more often then not is a learning experience for everyone involved. The service project for this Interpersonal Communications course will serve as the main take away of what we learn due to the fact that experiences such as service will impact our lives more than any textbook ever could.