Lilian Loh

Professor Morgan

English 1302

2018 February 02

Descriptive Essay: Studying Abroad and Language Barriers

Many people perceive studying abroad as a rare opportunity to simultaneously immerse oneself

into a unique culture and learn about new traditions and lifestyles. Most people however, overlook a

common issue when delving into study abroad: language barriers. With language barriers, participants in

study abroad programs may not be as adept to effectively communicate in the environment they are in.

This results in a disconnect between the study abroad participants and the local individuals. Subsequently,

they are unable to experience the true, genuine feeling of another culture. Although language barriers may

be difficult to overcome in the first steps into a foreign land, they are possible to be overcome with

sincerity and consistency.

One example of such a process would be an Italy study abroad program of a mid-western

university for engineering students.In this study abroad program taken place in the summer of 2001, ten

undergraduate students spent June in Tagliacozzo, a village “nested in the mountains, 60 miles east of

Rome,” (Macini-Cross 107). The case study leaders analyzed three factors that students were able to

improve intercultural communication and genuine Italian experience, which includes the simple rural

environment, group activities, and the Italian language instructor.

The miniscule village of Tagliacozzo, located in the Italian Apennine Range between two small

mountains, is surrounded by twisting country roads and herds of sheep. On the other side of the
Tagliacozzo landscape lies a contemporary highway system and a busy railroad that serves to connect to

the West, towards Rome. Similarly, a buzzing port city of Pescara lies in the East. Within these

surroundings of Tagliacozzo resides a quaint restaurant that the students frequently visited, the Pergola

d’Oro restaurant. In a few days, many students personally described Tagliacozzo to be a small, close-knit

town even though the townspeople seemed unwelcoming at first. The townspeople thought they would

only deal with the students for a short period of time, and saw the study abroad students as temporary

tourists visiting the small village. Thus, as time passed, the students eventually were able to comfortably

interact with the Italian culture by easily forming friendships with local people, and learning in a safe,

inclusive environment. Notably they enjoyed their lunch breaks at the Pergola d’Oro restaurant due to

their modest culture: “the simple decor, the informal service, the authentic homemade foods, the limited

menu, the staff, and the old, rusty sign posted at the corner of the alley,” (Macini-Cross 109). Therefore,

the communal, warm environment allowed the study abroad students to seamlessly embed themselves

into the Italian culture.

With little knowledge of Italian and international travel, the group of undergraduate engineering

students shared the challenge of integrating along with the new environment. However, the group of

students successfully integrated among each other due to their common interests and enthusiasm for the

study abroad experience. They all aimed for the goal of gaining the most from their time in Italy.

Moreover, the Italian language instructor strived to provide a “knowledge of the language, culture, and

people, and a trustworthy rapport with the students and the hosts,” (Macini-Cross 111). With these

aspirations in mind, the instructor showed the group of students local places in the town such as the

gelateria, market, and most importantly the Pergola d’Oro restaurant. The daily lunches at the restaurant

formed a meaningful relationship between not only the students and the restaurant owners but also a deep

connection of the students with the Italian culture.

 Therefore, although the students possessed little knowledge of being a true Italian, they still

gained the most from their experience through the close-knit quality of the community, a sense of oneness

among the group of students, as well as a familiar and experienced Italian instructor.
 Work Cited

Mancini-Cross, Cinzia, et al. “The Effect of the Language Barrier on Intercultural

Communication: A Case Study of Educational Travel in Italy.” ​Taylor & Francis Group, ​2009,​.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15313220903042004.