Native Speaker Program

Applications for Native Speakers must go through IIE.

International Students Web page

THE NATIVE SPEAKER PROGRAM JOB DESCRIPTION

Native Speakers at Albion College are university students in their early twenties (usually between the ages of 20 and 25) from French, Spanish, or German-speaking countries. There is one position each  in French, German  and Japanese and two positions in Spanish for a total of five Native Speakers. Native speakers usually spend one academic year as a special non-degree student at Albion from the middle of August until the first week of May.

Albion College

Albion College is a small (1,500 students) private, residential undergraduate institution in southern Michigan about 100 miles west of Detroit and 180 miles east of Chicago. It is in the small town of Albion (population 9,000). Students live in residence halls on the campus and eat in the college's dining hall. With a long history of academic excellence, Albion College is committed to a strong liberal arts education. Albion confers a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

International House

This year the  Gerstacker I- house  is closing, but the I house program is moving to the top floor of Whitehouse Hall. The American students who live in the I-House have been selected for their interest in foreign languages and/or study abroad. The I-House has three living units:  French House, German House, and Spanish House. Each student shares a room with another student and a bathroom (with a shower) with three students, all of the same sex. The principal goals of the I-House are to provide:

• The opportunity for residents to gain fluency in a foreign language by speaking it in the language houses
  
  

• Programming that promotes knowledge and understanding of other nations, cultures, and world events.

Because of America's geographical isolation from other nations, the Native Speaker plays an important role in helping U.S. students attain the goals of the I-House. He/she is a human link between the United States and other nations and cultures.

A Resident Coordinator and two student Resident Assistants are employed by the Office of Residential Life to deal with students’ personal problems and concerns in the I-House. Native Speakers have quite different responsibilities in their respective language houses.

Native Speaker Duties

An international student who accepts a position as a Native Speaker accepts a position of responsibility and prestige at Albion College. The Native Speaker plays an essential role in the I House. Responsibilities include:

• Help the language students speak the language of the Native Speaker so that the language students become more comfortable in their speaking.
  
  

• Organize meaningful cultural activities and events each week for the students in their houses. These activities should take place in the language of the particular house, i.e., French, German, or Spanish.
  
  

• Attend a biweekly meeting of the I-House Council, the organization that plans and conducts special programs and activities for all of the I-House.
   
  

• Attend biweekly general meetings of the I-House when the residents gather for social or cultural activities.

The usual weekly time commitment for Native Speaker work in the I-House, therefore, would be: 

The Native Speaker is also a "Teaching Assistant" in the Department of Foreign Languages and works closely with the language professors. The usual time commitment required of Native Speakers as teaching assistants each week is:

Thus, the total amount of time required for I-House and Teaching Assistant responsibilities combined would be about 15 - 20 hours weekly.

We encourage Native Speakers to bring with them to Albion some educational materials representative of their own cultures, such as posters, video tapes or DVD's (we have a VCR that can play foreign videos), cassette tapes, CDs, recipes, slides, clothing, books, games, maps, etc. A good method of deciding what items would be appropriate is to ask oneself:  "What would I want an American to know about my culture?"

Personal Benefits for Native Speakers

Most Native Speakers at Albion College come for one or more of the following reasons:

• A curiosity about America and Americans
  
  

• The opportunity for responsible work experience with language professors
  
  

• A way to improve their English language
  
  

• The desire to supplement their studies at their own universities
  
  

• The desire to make friends from the U.S. and other countries
  
  

• A personal commitment to understanding different peoples, their cultures, values, and points of view.

With an open mind, a strong desire to experience firsthand another way of life, and the willingness to assume responsibility for teaching others, a Native Speaker can usually attain these personal goals. The Center for International Education (CIE) and the faculty of the Department of Foreign Languages are always available to help the Native Speakers. A Native Speaker returns home after a year of living with American students in an academic setting, viewing the world through their eyes, and showing them the world from his/her perspective.

Financial Benefits

Albion College recognizes that travel to and study in America is an expensive undertaking for most young people. This is particularly true for students who are accustomed to inexpensive education in their own countries. Thus, the Native Speaker Program enables the five Native Speakers to attend Albion at no cost. The program works as follows:

• The College waives the auditor (non-degree) tuition for three units of classes, room, board, health services, and activity fees.
  
  

• The College will pay the cost of medical insurance through the Rust  International Associates insurance plan.
  
  

• Native Speakers are responsible for their airfare, books, $150 refundable deposit, yearbook fee ($42 in 2003-2004), vacation/ travel expenses in the United States, and personal expenses.

Non-Degree Study

A final real benefit of the program is the opportunity to study alongside Americans at a first-rate college. The Native Speaker is treated as an American student at Albion College in terms of class work and evaluation by the professor. The Native Speaker is expected to perform satisfactorily in his/her courses to satisfy American immigration regulations and the academic standards of Albion College. However, each Native Speaker decides whether the grades earned from courses at Albion College are to be reported to his/her home university.  In addition, professors and the director of the Center for International Education can provide a detailed personal evaluation of the Native Speaker.

One difference between a Native Speaker and an American student is that the Native Speaker may take two or three units of coursework while an American student takes four. One unit is one full semester-long course such as history, English or economics. Usually, each course meets three or four hours per week. The classes may require out-of-class reading and study, term papers, examinations, and weekly quizzes, depending on different professors' requirements.  Four units is a demanding load for most students, and Albion students spend many hours each week preparing for their classes. Native Speakers also have enjoyed taking some quarter-unit courses, e.g., physical education classes, that require very little outside preparation.

Another difference is that the Native Speaker is a special non-degree student. The Native Speaker is at Albion College for only one or two semesters rather than the four years required for the Bachelor's degree. The course credit does not apply toward an Albion College degree; however, Native Speakers in the past have been awarded credit back on their home campuses for course work done at Albion. A Native Speaker may request an official Albion College transcript, with grades.

Academic Offerings

Albion College offers courses in the following areas:

A Native Speaker may take courses at the appropriate level in any of these subject areas. Courses in Economics, English, History (especially American Studies), Sociology, Anthropology, Visual Arts, Music, Political Science, Women’s Studies, and Physical Education have been particularly popular in the past.

The Center for International Education Albion College, 4690 Kellogg Center, Albion, MI 49224 Telephone: 517.629.0307    Fax: 517.629.0617 E-mail: cie@albion.edu