Student Union
Doing a Language Exchange When You Can't Meet a Native Speaker: Germain's Story
Hello everybody!
In each year of Supméca, we must do a mandatory internship. My dream was to perform my 2nd year internship abroad, especially in the U.S. After a huge amount of applications sent to companies and universities around the U.S., I ended up getting accepted for a research internship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
After being accepted, I immediately started to worry about my poor spoken English. As you know, for a non-native English speaker being able to write a resume or a cover letter doesn’t necessarily imply being able to have daily conversation free from, "What?" “Can you repeat that?” or “Can you speak more slowly, please?” That was my case.
I found my internship only 2 months and 2 weeks before it was supposed to start, so I needed a way to improve quickly. Going to England? That would be very nice! But also very expensive for me, at a time I was saving money for my stay in the U.S. What to do?
So I asked almost everyone I know for suggestions and came up with the idea of doing a language exchange over Skype. There are a bunch of websites and tools that can help you do that – I ended up using one called languages-exchanges.org. The principle was easy. You put in your native language and the one you want to learn, and then find people who are the reverse.
The first person I chatted with (and by the way, the 2nd I know in the U.S.) was Michael, a 20-year-old student from Cartersville, Georgia. Michael is studying journalism, but might change his major. He is learning 3 languages: French, Turkish and Portuguese! Then, I got Rebecca from Brisbane, Australia, a 22-year-old girl. She learned graphic design at university, but when she attended a conference at which half the designers were self taught, she decided to quit university for online courses.
In addition, I met 6 others from the U.S., one from the U.K., one from Canada and even some from Venezuela and India. Nearly all of them are young people who are still studying. But one guy from Honolulu, HI and another one from Toronto, Canada are 40 years old and both already working.
We typically begin by text chatting and then do a call. We'll speak about 30 minutes in French (my native language), then 30 minutes in English. But we are free to use whatever combination of the two languages we prefer.
What do we talk about? Nearly anything. Studies, hobbies, daily life (what have you done today?), food, the people in our own countries. It’s also been a cross-cultural exchange, especially with my Australian friend. She showed me lot of species of birds you can only see in Australia. We were talking about the bird called budgerigar when she told me about the expression “budgie smuggler,” which is an Australian expression jokingly used to refer to a man with a small penis... (sorry for those who may feel uncomfortable). Anyway, we talk about anything, even jokes (but we didn’t find any like the Pete And Repeat Are On The Boat joke ;-) ).
Germain's referring to this podcast we did last year, discussing the ups and downs of studying in the U.S., and jokes that cross cultures. Scroll to 28:20 to hear the bit about the Pete and Repeat joke:
The biggest difficulty with it has been the time difference. Sometimes, someone has to wake up earlier than usual in the morning, or go to bed later. Brisbane, Australia is 8 hours different than Paris; when I got home from my summer job at 6 pm, it was already 2 am the next day over there. And when I was going to bed around midnight, it was still only 8 am. So sometimes my Australian friend had to wake up early in the morning (5-6 am) and sometime I remained awake until around 1 am. However we managed to meet on Saturday too, at a time that was suitable for us both.
Has that kind of language exchange really helped in improving my English? Yes, Absolutely. We correct each other when someone makes a mistake, and many of the mistakes I used to make have been corrected forever (I hope). There are some expressions I didn’t know until I discussed them with my English-speaking Skype partners.
I am now in the U.S., and I do keep asking people to repeat some of their sentences, but certainly less than I would without having had those language-exchanges. And I will keep on discussing with my e-friends.
Let me also tell you that thanks to them I learned some French rules too. Because sometimes, some of them have exercises to do in French and they ask me for some help. If I don’t know the answer, I search for it in French and then I explain it to them. That was the case with the question: “Quand mettre un 'S' à vingt et cent?” Thanks to Sofia, I know the answer now.
Anyway, I think that, when done seriously and regularly, it is a good way to improve one’s language skills, both written and spoken.
I can’t leave you without saying thanks to Jessica who helped me in finding that kind of exchange: thank you very much Jessica!
May you also enjoy that kind of a language exchange.
What techniques have you used to improve your English and prepare to study or work in the U.S.? Share that, or any other story about studying in the U.S. in the comments or using this form.
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Payments to college athletes to range from a few dollars to more than $1M under settlement
Thousands of former college athletes in the U.S. will be eligible for payments ranging from a few dollars to more than a million under the $2.78 billion antitrust settlement agreed to by the NCAA and five power conferences, a deal that also paves the way for schools to directly compensate athletes while attempting regulate payments from boosters.
Details of the sprawling plan were filed Friday in federal court in the Northern District of California, a little more than two months after the framework of an agreement was announced. The deal must still be approved by a judge.
"College athletes will finally be able to share in the billions of dollars their compelling stories and dynamic performances have generated for their schools, conferences, and the NCAA," the filing said. "This is nothing short of a seismic change to college sports following more than four years of hard-fought victories in this case."
The full term sheet includes guidelines on roster caps for individual sports that will replace scholarship limits; how the new financial payments will be monitored and enforced to ensure compliance by schools; how third-party payments to athletes will be regulated; and how nearly $3 billion in damages will be doled out over the next 10 years.
Those payouts will vary drastically and are determined by sport played, when, how long and what conference an athlete competed in. While Division I athletes across all sports will be eligible to collect damages, the majority of damages is expected to go to football and basketball players from power conferences because those leagues and teams generate most of the revenue that comes from billion-dollar media rights contracts.
The deal covers three antitrust cases — including the class-action lawsuit known as House vs. the NCAA — that challenged NCAA compensation rules dating to 2016. The plaintiffs claimed NCAA rules denied thousands of athletes the opportunity to earn millions of dollars off the use of their names, images and likenesses.
The NCAA lifted its ban on athletes earning money through endorsement and sponsorship deals in 2021.
The agreement does not settle the issue of whether college athletes should be deemed employees, but it does include language that would suggest the deal would be subject to change if "a change in law or circumstances permits collective bargaining."
The NCAA and college sports leaders continue to plead for help from Congress in the form of a federal law that would supersede state laws and allow the association and conferences to self govern without fear of future antitrust litigation.
"This settlement is an important step forward for student-athletes and college sports, but it does not address every challenge," the commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Southeastern Conference and NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a joint statement. "The need for federal legislation to provide solutions remains. If Congress does not act, the progress reached through the settlement could be significantly mitigated by state laws and continued litigation."
While that help still seems unlikely to come soon — especially with a presidential election months away — college sports leaders hope the settlement can provide some certainty for schools and finally stem the constant legal attacks on its antiquated model of amateurism.
Paying athletes
The NCAA and conferences have agreed to amend their rules to permit a landmark compensation system that allows schools to share up to about $21 million in athletic revenues with their athletes annually, starting in 2025.
The NCAA and conferences will be permitted to make rules that prevent schools from circumventing the cap.
That number is derived from taking 22% of the average revenue generated through media rights contracts, tickets and other sources by power conference schools. The agreement will create an audit system that allows plaintiffs to monitor athletic revenue, which is expected to rise in the coming years as new media rights agreements kick in for conferences and the College Football Playoff.
Athletes are projected to receive $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually.
All athletes will be eligible to receive the new financial benefits, but each school will be permitted to determine how they want to divvy up the money among sports. How exactly Title IX gender equity rules apply is still unclear and will require federal clarification. How schools comply with Title IX will be the responsibility of each institution.
Scholarships and rosters
Replacing scholarship limits with roster caps could mean even more athletic scholarship opportunities in Division I.
Most notably, major college football teams will now be permitted to have 105 player on scholarship instead of the current 85, though schools will no longer be required to give full scholarships to every football player.
Partial scholarships have been used in some sports for years, but will now be permitted in all.
The roster caps for baseball (34), softball (25) and volleyball (18) will also allow for a significant jump in the number of scholarships schools can provide in those sports, though schools will not be required to meet the cap.
NIL deals and oversight
NCAA rules have been tweaked to allow schools to be more involved in providing NIL opportunities for college athletes, but they will still be allowed to strike deals with third parties.
However, athletes will be required to report deals with third parties that surpass $600 to an outside clearinghouse.
The NCAA is also creating a public database that it hopes will allow athletes to assess fair market value.
Booster-funded NIL collectives have become a common way athletes are compensated, but now those deals will be subject to review through an arbitration process to determine if it is for a "valid business purpose," according to the agreement.
Violations could lead to eligibility penalties for athletes and sanctions for schools.
Damage payments
The plaintiffs in the House case are responsible for doling out damages. Included in Friday's filing was a chart breaking down the categories of eligible athletes along with four different types of payouts they could be in line to receive.
According to the plaintiffs, about 19,000 power conference football players and men's basketball players will be in line to receive an average of $91,000, with payments ranging from $15,000 to $280,000 just for what is referred to broadcast name, image and likeness.
Some of those same athletes could also be in line for tens of thousands of dollars more related to lost opportunities to earn NIL money while in college and what is deemed by the plaintiffs as pay-for-play. Plaintiffs' lawyers say a few athletes will be eligible to receive upward of $1 million.
Next steps
Plaintiffs' attorneys say they will file a motion for preliminary approval and — if granted — a public website will go up in about two months where former college athletes can determine how much they are eligible to receive.
Still, the settlement is months away from final approval. There will be an opportunity for athletes who are members of the plaintiffs' class to object to the settlement and ask to be excluded. Already one school, Houston Christian, has objected — though the judge denied its request to intervene.
"We are moving forward in the right direction by giving college athletes what they have EARNED & DESERVE which has been long overdue," said Sedona Prince, a college basketball player now at TCU and one of the plaintiffs in the House case. "We still have a long way to go and I pray athletes ask more questions and demand more answers from the leaders at their schools, conferences and the NCAA."
Survey: US college students score low in civic literacy
A recent survey commissioned by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni found that college student in the United States are lacking in civic education.
Writing for Ed Source, Emma Gallegos reports that most of those surveyed don’t know the terms lengths for members of Congress, and a third couldn’t identify the speaker of the House of Representatives. (July 2024)
Tips for first-year international students in the US
Book your flights right away, get a U.S. phone plan, make sure you have linens for your dorm and attend orientation – that’s some of the advice international students have for first-year college students coming from abroad.
U.S. News & World Report compiled helpful tips for students studying in the United States for the first time. (July 2024)
Survey: Social integration, career prep are important to international students
A recent survey of international students in the United States found that before starting school, they were concerned about personal safety, making friends and feeling homesick.
Inside Higher Ed reports that international students want specialized orientations, peer connections, career preparation and job placement to help make their college experiences successful. (July 2024)
US advisory council ends Nigeria visit, signs student exchange deal
Members of a U.S. presidential advisory council have approved a student exchange deal between an American college and a Nigerian university as part of the council's effort to strengthen collaboration on education, health, entrepreneurship and development between Africa and Africans living abroad.
The council also visited a health facility supported by the United States Agency for International Development in the capital.
Nigerian authorities and visitors chatted with members of the U.S President's Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement as they toured a healthcare facility in Karu, a suburb of Abuja, on the last day of the council's three-day visit to Abuja and Lagos.
The facility is one of many supported by the United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, to improve the management of childhood illnesses, family planning, immunization and delivery.
The tour was part of the council's effort to promote African diaspora-led investments in technology entrepreneurship, education and healthcare delivery.
"They're doing a phenomenal job there, it really gave us a sense of what the healthcare system is in Nigeria," said Deniece Laurent-Mantey, executive director of the advisory council. "This is our first trip as a council to the continent and we chose Nigeria for a reason — the diaspora in Nigeria is very active, very influential, and they're really a source of strength when it comes to our U.S.-Africa policy. And so for us coming to Nigeria was very intentional."
The council was created by President Joe Biden in September to improve collaboration between Africa and its diaspora in terms of economic and social development.
Akila Udoji, manager of the Primary Healthcare Centre of Karu, said officials in Nigeria were pleased that the council members were able to visit.
"We're happy that they have seen what the money they have given to us to work with has been used to do, because they have been able to assist us in capacity-building, trainings, equipment supply and the makeover of the facility," Udoji said.
Earlier, the council signed a deal for a student exchange program between Spelman College in the southern U.S. city of Atlanta and Nigeria's University of Lagos.
Laurent-Mantey said education exchanges are one of the council's top priorities.
"In Lagos, we had the president of Spelman College — she's also a member of our council — she signed an agreement with the University of Lagos to further education exchange programs in STEM and creative industries between those two universities," Laurent-Mantey said. "And I think for us it's very important, because Spelman College is a historically Black university, and so here we are promoting the importance of collaboration between African Americans and Africans."
In March, the advisory council adopted its first set of recommendations for the U.S. president, including the student exchange initiative, advocating for more U.S. government support for Africa, climate-focused initiatives, and improving U.S. visa access for Africans.
The council met with Nigerian health and foreign affairs officials during the visit before leaving the country on Wednesday.
