Submitted by Barbara
Hannum, HPU Director of Intercultural Education Programs
Hawaiʻi
Pacific University recently provided students from Hiroshima, Japan a special custom-designed
study-tour experience, the eighth since our inaugural program in 2006. From
November 13 to December 1, 2017, a group of 17 students from Hiroshima College
of Foreign Languages (HCFL) enjoyed a challenging yet rewarding three-week intensive
Hospitality and English Program prepared and coordinated by Intercultural
Education Programs Director Barbara Hannum with support from the TESOL Programs
and the Dept. of English and Applied Linguistics.
A successful balance of academic
and experiential learning, the program featured “English for Interaction” classes
designed to build fluency in speaking and listening, customized classes in
hospitality, tourism, language, and culture, special topics lectures on hospitality
marketing and business strategies in Hawai‘i and the U.S. by Hospitality & Tourism
Management faculty Dr. Wendy Lam and Dr. Dae Woo Park, observational visits to HPU
classes in business, marketing, and Japanese, cultural presentations by HCFL
students to HPU students, fluency-building workshops, and conversation sessions
with HPU students and Center for Academic Success tutors. A special cultural
lesson and hula workshop was provided by Kumu Tracie Lopes, who taught the
group a meaningful hula about Aloha Tower and how to make ti-leaf lei.
The HCFL students also enjoyed a
guided tour of historic downtown Honolulu, a visit to the State Art Museum, and
a “Waikiki scavenger hunt” to the Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Moana hotels led
by Dr. Lam. The two cohorts of students also shared a full day of experiential
learning and site visits: one group, comprised of hospitality and tourism
majors, received an extensive tour of the Four Seasons Resort, where they learned
about strategic branding/target marketing and were also treated to a delicious
lunch! From there they traveled to the airport for a guided tour and
presentation by Hawaiian Airlines marketing and sales management staff. The
other group, comprised of English majors, enjoyed a morning at Hawaiʻi Baptist Academy sharing
cultural presentations with HBA Japanese classes and observing other special
HBA classes as well. They, too, were treated to a very special lunch and
cultural exchange session by HBA administrators, staff, and selected students.
The HCFL students all stayed with local families
through the Hawai‘i Homestay Program, so they spent evenings and weekends
learning about and experiencing American and local culture, especially enjoying
the Thanksgiving holiday. The program culminated in a memorable HPU Completion
Ceremony and Aloha Luncheon on Friday, December 1. We look forward to welcoming
the next group in 2019 for another memorable and meaningful educational exchange
between two universities and long-time friends.
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