Tamrika Khvtisiashvili (Azerbaijan '11)



Tamrika Khvtisiashvili

My name is Tamrika Khvtisiashvili. I was a CLS participant in Azerbaijan in the summer of 2011. I am a Ph.D. student in Linguistics at the University of Utah, currently writing my dissertation on Xinaliq, an endangered and indigenous language spoken in the remote mountainous region of Azerbaijan. Xinaliq residents, in addition to the Xinaliq language, speak Russian and Azeri. Learning Azeri last summer gave me an opportunity to have an alternative contact language with the residents of Xinaliq that was not Russian. Although most men in the village speak Russian, women and children don't. Now I am able to communicate and collect data from the whole population, which is crucial for a full ethnographic and linguistic documentation. 

Tamrika Khvtisiashvili

On top of being able to speak Azeri, spending two months in Baku with the CLS Program last summer gave me an opportunity to become more accustomed to Azerbaijani culture. During my stay, I made important academic contacts and was able to arrange my return for further research. Having the CLS experience has helped me to not only be culturally and linguistically more savvy in Azerbaijan but also strengthened my grant applications and as a result helped me receive funding from the Volkswagen Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

This summer I will be dividing my time between Baku and Xinaliq village, where I will be conducting ethnographic and linguistic documentation of the Xinaliq language and analyzing its grammar in preparation for the English version. I am also looking forward to welcoming this year's new and returning CLS students to Azerbaijan, a country which I have come to love for its fascinating politics, diverse culture, and varied social life. 





Institute Profile: Jaipur, India

Location: Jaipur, India

Host Institution: American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS)

Language: Hindi

Levels: Beginner, intermediate, and advanced



Rajasthan, India is highlighted in yellow



The CLS Hindi Program in India is located in the city of Jaipur, the capital and largest city in the state of Rajasthan, India. Known as the Pink City, Rajasthan is a fascinating region where the mix of religious traditions, Hindu, Muslim, and Jain, contribute to the rich cultural environment. Originally created as a planned city in 1727, Jaipur flourished and quickly become a center for commerce. More recently, it has also become a major tourist destination. Beyond tourism, Jaipur’s economy is supported by old production industries (such as gems and textiles) and modern commerce (finance and real estate).

Academics

The American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) is the academic partner for the CLS Hindi Program. AIIS is a consortium of 64 American universities with South Asia Studies Centers and is recognized by the Government of India as an institution of higher learning and research. Students participate in classes Monday through Friday from 9 am until 1 pm, over a ten-week period. In addition to formal evaluations such as tests and quizzes, student–teacher meetings are held every week to discuss student progress and language learning goals. In the afternoons, students participate in cultural activities, converse with language partners, and complete their homework.

Housing

CLS Program participants stay with host families during their stay in Jaipur. Each student will have their own fully-furnished bedroom. Many of the host families have previous experience hosting American students with AIIS.

Cultural Enrichment Activities

Weekly activities supplement the formal classroom instruction and include local trips, guest lectures, and music and dance performances. Each student works with his or her instructors to complete an independent project during the CLS institute, and students present their projects in Hindi to the group during the final week of the program.

Suggested Reading

A Primer of Modern Standard Hindi, Michael C. Shapiro

Spoken Hindi, Prof. S. Gambhir

Introduction to Hindi Grammar, Usha R. Jain

Evolution of Jaipur: http://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/1906/jaipur-evolution-of-an-indian-city

Jaipur District Site: http://jaipur.nic.in/

Alumni Testimonials

Rhea Vance-Cheng, Jaipur 2011

“The academic program excelled at exposing us to new cultural concepts, including religion, caste, politics, as well as more day-to-day cultural differences such as the underlying reasons behind the differences in classroom etiquette in India, gender relations, or even the proper way to wear clothing (not to mention what not to wear) to maintain respectability. Being in Jaipur was clearly a huge boon to my cultural understanding. It's impossible not to soak up the culture while you're there unless you are somehow resisting it (by not going out, or by being too shy, etc.)” 

Cat Biddle, Jaipur 2011

“The program staff at AIIS is excellent. I've never participated in a language program that had such a comprehensive and effective method of teaching language as I experienced on the CLS Program. All of my teachers were top-notch and I feel that not only did I learn Hindi this summer, but I learned what the best possible language instruction looks and feels like.”

Matthew Childs, Jaipur 2011



Hawa Mahal in Jaipur

 “The cultural excursions were an excellent source of historical context and learning, and were both incredibly enjoyable and greatly appreciated. Living with a host family, of course, was an excellent way to be exposed to the culture, and was probably the single most effective way of socially adjusting to India. Jaipur as a city was also a great place to see a number of cultural forces at play and to begin to understand their interaction.”

Anaar Desai-Stephens, Jaipur 2011

“My fellow students were wonderful, and there were some whose Hindi was quite excellent. Being around this latter group, I felt that my Hindi improved.”

Amy Schoenecker, Jaipur 2011

“Everyone, including the teachers I did not have and all the staff, are amazing.  They are an extremely phenomenal group of people and I know my experience would not have been the same without them.  On the last day all the students and teachers sat around to share a memory, thought and many tears.  My personal shared thought was that I knew I would learn a lot about myself in India-I would learn a lot about the language and culture in India-what I was unprepared for was the incredible relationships I would make with both the students and the teachers.  I am forever grateful for them and for this experience.”

Kristen Kappos, Jaipur 2010
“My experience in the CLS Program was very positive, in large part due to the level of teaching at AIIS. My language teachers could answer even the messiest of my grammar questions when I tried to understand differences between English and Hindi. My experience was also very positive because I put work into it. I found that CLS is very much what you make of it. You have to be willing to put in the work if you want to truly benefit from it. One of the greatest benefits of the CLS Program that I don't think gets enough attention, is the connections you make through it. I made great friends through CLS who I speak with on a regular basis. In fact, a few of us signed onto Google+ for a group video chat just a couple weeks ago. Each of us is still involved with advancing our knowledge of Hindi, and we readily help each other find opportunities to engage in our target language. For example, when I was developing my thesis proposal, a fellow CLS friend provided me with contacts in India to reach out to. We have also shared calls for applications to various internships and fellowships with one another.

I would highly recommend CLS to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of their target language and the culture of the area where it is spoken.”

CLS Webchat on State Alumni: Careers with the U.S. Department of State

Thinking about a career in foreign affairs? Interested in pursuing an internship or a career with the State Department but not sure where to start? Senior Recruitment Outreach Officer Kathy Eagen will be discussing career, internship, and fellowship opportunities for working with the Department of State.

You will learn about how you can serve your country by working in any one of more than 250 U.S. embassies, consulates or missions overseas, or in Washington, D.C. Career paths include Foreign Service Generalists, Foreign Service Specialists, Civil Service professionals and interns. Learn about the different career paths, how to begin the application process, and learn about internship and fellowship opportunities available. All State Department employees and interns require U.S. citizenship. The U.S. Department of State is an equal opportunity employer.

The webchat will take place on State Alumni on Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 2 PM EST. If you are not able to join us live, you can still submit a question in advance. Check the State Alumni site in late May for more info!

Andrew Ward (Lucknow, India '10)

CLS Alumni Highlight

Andrew Ward (Lucknow, India ’10)



Andrew Ward

My father worked for USIS then the State Department so I grew up in Yemen, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.  When I was in college I participated in a college year in India program through the University of Wisconsin.  I studied Urdu while living in Varanasi and became deeply interested in the ecstatic devotions of various Sufi traditions.  

A half decade later, after earning a Master of International Education and moonlighting as a lounge singer in Poland, I moved to New Orleans.  I picked up another masters (International Development) and embarked upon a Ph.D.  In the summer of 2010, I participated in the CLS-Urdu program in Lucknow and I had an opportunity to blend all of my interests into one cohesive project.  

The qawalli tradition was so similar to many ecstatic Christian services I had witnessed in the musical Big Easy, and I decided to translate folk songs and gospel standards into Urdu and see if they would be well-received.  They were - resoundingly so.  Most scholars I spoke to were convinced Mahalia Jackson (by the subject matter of her songs) was a Muslim.  

I returned to the states and spread the word about my plan to make an album and a friend named Tom Larson stepped up to the plate.  He assembled an amazing band in Nashville (many of whom were Louisiana boys living in exile) and set up some studio time.  At the end of January 2012, I flew up there, did vocals on three tracks with great music backing me up.  We have played two of the songs on WWOZ 90.7FM and two more stations want to pick them up as well.  CD Baby now grants downloadable access to "You Are My Sunshine" and at the end of April we record 6 more songs.

The goal is to complete and album, distribute it in the Urdu-speaking world, garner interest and then perform in various venues across the subcontinent.

Looking for a Job?

There are many resources available to assist in the job search process, but sometimes the best resources are overlooked or not utilized to their fullest potential. Below are some tips and resources to keep in mind:

• Network, network, network! Connect with fellow CLS alumni in your field on the CLS LinkedIn [www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3126138], Facebook [www.facebook.com/CLScholarship], State Alumni [https://alumni.state.gov/], and ExchangesConnect websites [http://connect.state.gov/].Get to know fellow speakers of your target language. Explore the networks developed during your CLS experience to determine which types of organizations seek your skills, and share strategies on how best to market your experiences to make your skills valuable to the organization.

• Keep in touch and share job hunting leads and experiences. Sharing position announcements with others is a great way to ensure that they keep you in mind when a job posting comes their way. The CLS Program posts job opportunities that might be relevant to CLS alumni on the CLS State Alumni community and the CLS LinkedIn page. You can share job leads on those sites as well!

• Do you live in an area that doesn’t have a strong international job market? Ask your friends in D.C., New York, and other large cities to pass along job announcements from their universities’ job databases.

• Volunteer at organizations where you’d like to work, inquire about internship opportunities, and attend events where people working in your field are likely to be.

• Finally, don’t forget to check with your university career center. Many career centers provide a database of available positions along with services for resume editing, cover letter writing, and interview strategies. Some career centers have alumni databases; seek out alumni in your field and NETWORK! It is never too early to start familiarizing yourself with the resources your university provides. Did you already graduate? Some university career centers even offer services to alumni.

Below is a general list of some resources you might consider as you pursue your job search. Please note that these resources are not endorsed by the U.S. Department of State or the CLS Program.

 

General Resources:

• USA Jobs [http://www.usajobs.gov/] – the official online site for government job postings

• Washington Post Jobs & Twitter Feed [http://www.washingtonpost.com/jobs/home] – the Twitter account is particularly active

• Job-search databases such as:
• Idealist [http://www.idealist.org/] – includes postings in the nonprofit sector
• Indeed [www.indeed.com]
• CareerOneStop [http://www.careeronestop.org/]

• Craigslist [http://www.craigslist.org/] – many employers post local job openings here

• Recovery.gov [http://www.recovery.gov/] – recipients of government contracts need staff to implement projects; this site provides a list of jobs using recovery funds

• Career fairs [http://www.nationalcareerfairs.com/] – find career fairs in your area

Other Tips and Resources Specific to Your Language, Field of Study, or Local Area:

• Visit websites of organizations that are leaders in your field. You can generally find a link to job postings on their homepage or “About Us” page.

• When you come across an interesting job opening, make a note of the organization and check that organization’s website for other job postings. You may find more relevant jobs this way than if you use a general jobs database. Larger organizations may offer an RSS feed for job postings, or an email distribution list.

• Many large companies have operations around the globe and may be looking for people with your language skills to assist them. You can often find a list of these organizations and companies by visiting online sites for chambers of commerce or business associations related to your language. For example, the U.S-Korea Business Council [http://www.uskoreacouncil.org/membership/members] includes a list of member organizations.

• Language- or region-specific organizations sometimes post jobs or can link you with others who are working in this area. Examples include the American Teachers of Turkic Languages Association [http://aatturkic.org/], Middle East Studies Association [http://www.mesa.arizona.edu/], and Asia Society [http://asiasociety.org/].

• Look for local cultural associations related to your region or language of study. You may learn about fun events where you can network with people from your host country and practice speaking your target language. These organizations may also have lists of local businesses operated by people from your host country.

• Many professional organizations have a place to publish available positions. You may need to become a member to take full advantage of the benefits, but most organizations offer a discounted student rate.

• Paid-subscription databases often collect public job listings as well while also offering private listings that are not advertised elsewhere. One example of this kind of database is workforcongress.org.

• Join listservs related to your language, region, or field of study. Many industry- and language-specific organizations have listservs where members discuss relevant topics and post job opportunities.

• Interested in Pinterest? Read Using Pinterest as a Job-Search and Branding Tool, 5 Ways Pinterest Can Help Your Job Search, and How to Use Pinterest: The Hottest Site on the Planet.

Two CLS Turkey Alumni Discuss Post-Program Experiences in Their Host City

After completing the 2011 Critical Language Scholarship Program in Bursa, Turkey, we were excited to visit and experience more of the country, so we volunteered on an eco-farm in southern Turkey near Fethiye, which gave us the opportunity to experience a different region of the country, with a different climate and historical significance. (Bursa was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, whereas the region surrounding Fethiye on the Mediterranean Sea was where the ancient Lycian community thrived and which now boasts the Lycian Way, a 500-km footpath that stretches beside the sea.) After the farm experience, we decided to return to Bursa, where we could build upon the contacts and community forged during the CLS Program (our host families, language buddies and other friends) to continue studying Turkish and to enhance our knowledge of the city and country.


Frankie and Latika in class

Frankie’s Story: As the CLS Program was coming to an end I knew I wanted to stay in Turkey, but I also knew I needed a job and I was not quite sure what to do. I was hoping to remain in Turkey to learn more of the Turkish language and to experience more of the Turkish culture and country. Before I left for Fethiye I was throwing around a bunch of ideas of what I might do to stay in Turkey. One idea was that I could work at Pinar Burger, the durum restaurant down the street from TOMER, our language school. I had become good friends with the owners of Pinar Burger during the CLS Program and they had offered me the opportunity to work with them. I thought a job where it was necessary to speak Turkish all the time would be a great way to improve my language skills. However, the idea I was leaning towards most was to teach English at a language school. Before heading to Fethiye I lined up some interviews with a few of the language schools. When I made it back to Bursa, I met with their directors and was given job offers from all three schools. I ended up accepting two jobs, a full-time job at one language school and a part-time job at another.

These jobs allowed me to further expand my network of contacts within Bursa and I have become friends with many of the other teachers with whom I work. One friend, Oznur, introduced me to a non-profit organization, Bursanat, in which she is a member.

Bursanat (a name that combines “Bursa” and “sanat,” the word for art) is located in Pirinc Han, one of Bursa’s ancient trading places. It has 20 active members, but there are always new faces, Turkish and non-Turkish, attending their events. A major goal of Bursanat is to get people more involved within the city by fostering volunteerism. For example, the program “Step by Step Bursa” strives to help Bursa’s residents to learn more about the city by making visits to various sites while also speaking with professionals who share information about Bursa’s history and culture. Bursanat’s weekly activities include an English Conversation Club, Photography Club and visits to nursing homes. The organization also sends members abroad to volunteer. At the moment they have three volunteers in Germany and one in Spain. Bursanat also holds an annual project that focuses on bringing attention to and resolving a group-identified problem within the city, with their most recent project focused on educating about and encouraging recycling.

Attending Bursanat meetings and events is something I look forward to every week. Latika and I are most involved with the English Conversation Club that takes place every Friday night. At the speaking club we discuss a range of topics, and past topics have included cultural diversity, different uses of body language and gestures, technology’s impact on our lives, and achieving a work-life balance. Bursanat also sponsors very interesting monthly seminars for which they invite experts in specific fields to discuss topics such as social media, the Arab Spring and post-modern culture in Turkey.

Being involved in Bursanat has been an excellent networking opportunity. The organization is great for learning about interesting events that are happening around the city. Attending Bursanat meetings also led me to another job. My friend Umut, whom I met at Bursanat, informed me that the General Manager and other managers at Bursagaz, Turkey’s third largest natural gas company, were interested in taking English language lessons. For me, this resulted in a two-month English language teaching contract at the company. I really enjoyed working there. We had many conversations together, and I often learned more about Turkey, whether it was energy issues, politics, or even football.

~~~~~

Posters in Turkey

Latika’s Story: I had received funding to complete my master’s thesis (in International Education) during the fall semester, so after the CLS Program and our farm experience concluded I spent the next couple of months conducting research in Bosnia and Herzegovina and traveling throughout Eastern Europe. But I knew that I wanted to make Bursa my home base for the actual thesis-writing process because I had really enjoyed the city during the two-month CLS Program. Because of the great Turkish host family experience I had and the friends I made during the program, Bursa had begun to feel like home, and I also wanted the opportunity to continue to bolster my Turkish language skills. After returning to Bursa in December I attempted to take every opportunity to strengthen my existing connections and expand my network. I joined an organization called the Bursa International Women’s Association (BIWA), a social organization that brings together Turkish and foreign women of all ages with the aim to encourage mutual friendship and understanding while also contributing to the development of Bursa. The group sponsors weekly meet-ups and social events, as well as having a strong focus on social development projects like fundraising for a local women’s shelter and a school for students with special needs. A recent project, co-sponsored by the Turkish Women’s Association, helped support the international Denim Day campaign that brings attention to sexual assault.

In addition to volunteering with BIWA and Bursanat, I have also secured employment opportunities within Bursa. The two months we spent in Bursa as part of the CLS Program provided a sound foundation that eased the transition to living and working here on a longer term basis. Moreover, because Bursa is not as saturated with ex-pats as, say, Istanbul, it is also a more convenient location for finding a job. Currently I am working part-time at an English language school while also working 25 hours per week at Bursagaz, where my background in proofreading at the New York Times has served me well for editing the company’s English-language website.

~~~~~

Remaining in Turkey after the CLS Program has aided us tremendously in strengthening our Turkish language skills (which also benefited greatly from the CLS Alumni Development Fund) and in deepening our knowledge of the country and its political and cultural intricacies. The 2011 CLS Program provided the perfect introduction to the city of Bursa--its people and its offerings--which allowed us to so easily become more rooted within the community in a substantial and enduring manner.  Our work and volunteer experiences here have been very meaningful and will certainly have a lasting impact on our future academic and working careers.

Frankie Heller (B.A. in Political Science, 2011, St. Olaf College) and Latika Young (Ed.M. in International Education, 2012, Columbia University’s Teachers College) participated in the 2011 CLS Program in Bursa, Turkey. Here they share their experiences in their host city after the CLS Program.

Career Search Tips from the Delaware Study Abroad Re-Entry Conference

Career Search Tips from the Delaware Study Abroad Re-Entry Conference
By Molly Reed (Vladimir, Russia ’11)

Molly Reed recently attended the Delaware Valley Study Abroad Re-Entry Conference in Philadelphia, PA. Below she shares tips she learned for job search strategies and where to look for international jobs.
Marketing Your CLS Experience
An important tip for all students returning from overseas, and one that really struck me at this conference, is the value of marketing your study abroad experience during your job search.

Students who study abroad develop many transferable skills and abilities such as teamwork, problem-solving/analytical abilities, comfort with ambiguity, flexibility, and self-confidence. They also gain a wider perspective on global issues, improve language skills, and increase their knowledge of other cultures, all of which should be highlighted on resumes and mentioned during interviews.

Behavioral interview questions in particular allow students to frame their study abroad stories and highlight transferable skills through the STAR technique (mention the Situation, Task, Action, and achieved Results in each story).

Finding International Opportunities at Home
I was surprised to learn of how many internationally-focused opportunities exist in the United States. There are huge international communities in major U.S. cities, and a host of organizations have sprung up to serve these communities and promote multiculturalism. Philadelphia, for example, is home to the Philadelphia International Visitors Council, Philadelphia Multicultural Affairs Congress, Philadelphia Multicultural Resource Center, and the Welcoming Center for New Philadelphians; many of these organizations have corollaries that students can become involved with in other major cities.

A great piece of advice I heard was to network with the local community who speaks your target language (Russian, Chinese, etc.) and find out more about the programs that serve them. Some places to look are local consulates, organizations that teach English language skills and job-seeking skills to new immigrants, and regional international visitors’ councils.

Students who are interested in joining a non-profit that serves the international community were advised to come to the interview prepared. For example, students who had a great new idea that could earn the non-profit a grant might be more likely to be hired to work on that project.

Another domestic career path with an international focus is working at a company's international office, which is possible in some major cities.

International Volunteering
International volunteering is another opportunity for those itching to go abroad again. The most important advice offered on this topic was that overseas volunteers should consider how they are going to leverage their experience when they get back and should select an opportunity based on their interests. For example, someone interested in health care or public health should look for health-related opportunities.

Volunteers should also understand why the experience is important to them, what skills they are learning, and how the experience fits into their larger goals.

Graduate School Abroad
Earning a degree abroad can also be a good way for students to become more competitive in an international market. There are special programs, such as GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, that help guide American students through the overseas application process.

CLS Participant Studies Islam in Russia

CLS Participant Studies Islam in Russia
As a CLS participant, Meagan Todd (Astrakhan, Russia ’09 and Vladimir, Russia ’11) laid the foundation for future fieldwork in Russia. Meagan recently received a fellowship funded by the U.S. Department of State Title VIII Program for Research and Training to research mosque construction in Moscow.

Meagan became particularly interested in pursuing this field of research after a meeting with an imam during the CLS Program in 2011. With the help of an instructor, she arranged an interview with a local imam in Vladimir, Russia. Their wide-ranging conversation, conducted exclusively in Russian, touched on issues such as the state of Islam in Russia, educational and professional opportunities for Muslims in Russia, and the architecture of mosques.

Below, Meagan answers some questions about the interview:

1. How was your meeting with the imam related to your research interests and career goals?
In the meeting, I was able to gain insight into the relationships between his mosque community, the local government, and Vladimir. Because Vladimir is located in the Golden Circle, it was а great opportunity to discuss Islam in an area of Russia renowned for its Orthodox heritage.

2. Did you learn anything surprising during the meeting?
The mosque was relatively new, and the imam was quite young! I was surprised by the large amount of literature on Islam in Russia that the imam shared with me. I have been developing my reading skills on this topic, which is important for my future research.

3. Did this meeting change your perception of or ideas about Muslims in Russia?
Before studying in Vladimir, I was fortunate to be a CLS participant in 2009 in Astrakhan, which is a multiconfessional city and home to many different religions. While in Astrakhan, my CLS group visited many houses of worship. The meeting in Vladimir reminded me that Russia is a huge country with many regional differences, especially in regards to religion.

4. Do you feel that speaking with this imam changed any of his ideas about the United States or Americans?

He asked me why I was interested in learning about Islam and his mosque, and I mentioned that I think Russia is a huge country with lots of different peoples with different beliefs, like the United States. But, we often do not learn much about all the different cultures in Russia back home – mainly, the focus is on the dominant Russian culture.

5. Did this meeting, or any other activities facilitated by CLS, change or inform your research interests?

This meeting helped guide the development of my research questions for my dissertation on mosque construction in Moscow. Without this meeting, I would not have gotten the idea to do research on both official mosques and more informal spaces of Islam, such as apartment meetings. Before the Islamic community in Vladimir had a mosque, they had to convene in alternative locations. Many congregations in smaller cities also do not have mosques.

6. Any additional thoughts about your meeting, lessons learned, or things you would like to share?

I was grateful for the interest of and support from Cori Anderson (CLS Resident Director in Vladimir) and Evgenii Leonodovich, the program history instructor. He set me up with the interview and accompanied me to the mosque. I think he was just as interested to meet the imam as I was!