Students Connect around the World with Skype
The pen pal system just got a makeover.
Recently American students in Englewood, New Jersey, connected with Chinese students from Nanjing, China, to talk to each other in both English and Mandarin. Using Skype, an online video conference platform, the 12 elementary through high school American students spoke with the 20 Chinese middle school students to get to know each other and learn about different cultures.
The conversation started as the American students spoke in Mandarin about their interests, their names, and so forth. The students in both New Jersey and China were excited to discover how similar some of their interests were. For example, the Chinese students were thrilled because they knew about the famous “Linsanity” basketball player.
After 30 minutes, the conversation turned to English, and the Chinese students were able to introduce themselves and discuss what they liked. Students were able to understand exciting things about a new culture – something that Skype helps bring into reality in the classroom.
A classroom program, like the Skype platform, helps young people dive into new cultures, languages, and enjoy cultural encounters that they could never get from just reading a book.
Education.skype.com helps educators create new programs to help make this possible for any classroom. Visit the site to find out how you can help your students connect with others around the world!
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Written by Jana Melpolder
