Stephanie Owens '07
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Chile

One of the lookouts at Parque de Lota Isidora Cousiño in Chile.

Shortly after graduating from Susquehanna University in May 2007, I was accepted into the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program. Since the seasons in Chile are opposite of those in the United States, the school year beings in March rather than September. This meant I had ten months to prepare myself for departure. Although this gave me a lot of time to learn more about Chilean history and literature and keep up with current events, I couldn't begin to imagine what my life would be like upon arrival.

I arrived in Temuco, Chile, on Easter weekend and was quickly welcomed into the home of my host, Carmen Gloria, to have lunch and meet her teenage sons—with whom I bonded over a shared love of Edith Piaf. While Carmen Gloria was taking me on a tour of the city, my colleague called to say that she would pick me up for lunch the following day.

The view of Temuco from my room.

On Sunday, I quickly realized that having lunch with one person actually means having lunch with her entire family and any friends that happen to stop by that day. Although on my second day in the city, I found this slightly overwhelming (because it was also my second day experiencing Chilean Spanish), meals have quickly come to be one of my favorite parts of Chilean culture. Instead of going to a restaurant with one or two people, mealtimes are a prime example of Chilean hospitality. You are immediately welcomed into the home, introduced to all the family members (who greet you with a kiss on the cheek) and seated at the table before a traditional meal such as pastel de choclo, a sweet corn-meal casserole with pieces of meat, olives and hardboiled egg.

Jill, Sarah, and I during our trip to Casa Blanca Vineyard as part of orientation activities. We harvested grapes that will be part of a 2009 Chardonnay.

In addition to spending time with my host and colleagues, I also have frequent opportunities to interact with students inside and outside of the classroom. The Fulbright Commission assigned me to teach at La Universidad Católica, with the students and faculty of the Department of Translation. There are seven sections of English and I assist in each class once a week, doing various activities from lecturing about university life in the United States and other aspects of American culture to helping with grammar and pronunciation. Additionally, I offer workshops to the upper-intermediate students from English 5 and 7. Some of my workshops have been Apartment Hunting in the U.S., The Language of Love: Expressions for Discussing Relationships, and American Icons and Pop Culture.

Students from English 7 at my house for an English-language lunch.

Outside of class, I also host English-language lunches at my house. Once a week, I meet with interested students. We go to the grocery store and afterwards prepare a lunch and talk. We are all in agreement that a more casual setting allows them to practice their English without feeling nervous or intimidated the way they might in a classroom. To increase exposure to native speakers in a comfortable setting, I started an Internet Pen Pal program where my students in Chile can talk to American college students or alumni via AOL Instant Messenger. At the end of the semester each student is going to hand in a small dictionary of expressions and slang they learned during their conversations, which I will compile into a larger body of expressions for future students.

Although my schedule is rather full during the week, I have Fridays free, which gives me time to travel. My most memorable trip thus far has been to Concepción and Lota. Concepción is the second largest city in Chile and is about four hours away from Temuco by bus. Katie, another Fulbrighter, and I went to Concepción for the 53rd Anniversary of Fulbright Chile. A dinner was held at Club Concepción and we had the opportunity to meet past Fulbright fellows. We also received several invitations to visit professors at other universities throughout Chile.

Katie (right) and I trying to lift some of the mining tools in Chiflon del Diablo.

The following day, we took a bus to Lota, a town that once thrived on the abundant coal supply on the coast and is now struggling to find other means of economic gain. Lota is home to Parque de Lota Isidora Cousiño, a park that was created by the owner of the local mines as a wedding present for his wife. We spent the morning touring the park and taking pictures. Then we went to a small restaurant and enjoyed salmon a la plancha and ensalada chilena, grilled salmon with a tomato and onion salad. We then went to visit Lota's other main attraction, the mine of Chiflon del Diablo, or "The Devil's Wind," named after the violent explosions that occurred in the mine. For $7, agreed to be the best seven dollars we have ever spent, Katie and I took a tour of the Subterra movie set, learned various Chilean sayings that come from the mining culture, and were equipped with miners' helmets and taken 40 meters below the ocean to tour the now-abandoned mine. Aside from being both entertaining and informative, the short venture into the mine also served as a reminder of how lucky we are to be English Teaching Assistants and not miners who have to work 12-hour shifts on their knees with tools we could barely lift long enough to take a photo. With this in mind, we returned to the rainy city of Temuco, planning lessons during the bus ride and sipping the cups of instant coffee that are distributed on any long trip, feeling extremely grateful for the opportunities that being a Fulbright fellow has afforded us.

--May 2008