Monterey Institute ESL students enjoy a Thanksgiving feast.
International Students Learn About the American Tradition of Thanksgiving
November 24, 2010
Patricia Szasz, Director of the Intensive English Program (ESL) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, cooks two large turkeys every year, one for her students and another for her family. Every year she hosts a Thanksgiving feast at Kinnoull House, asking the guests to prepare and bring a set of traditional trimmings. The teachers of English as a Second Language pick different side dishes for their class to prepare and then go on to teach them, in English, how to bake pumpkin pies, mash potatoes, make stuffing and prepare other staples of family Thanksgiving tables around the country.
Many of the ESL students, who come from all over the world, have never cooked a meal before, let alone a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Most of this year’s group were also tasting some of the ingredients and dishes for the first time, which made for very interesting discussions around the dining table. All of the students joined in the American tradition of giving thanks by sharing with others what they were thankful for this holiday.
Like this story? Here are a few suggestions:
Gift-shoppers, consider supporting one of these Monterey Institute student projects through MontereySTART: a documentary about water in Nicaragua, solar energy access for low-income families, or two Haitian American students traveling to Haiti to volunteer this January.
Read More »
The Monterey Institute campus was filled with joy on Saturday, December 10 when 88 students from 16 countries celebrated their achievements with family and friends at winter commencement.
Read More »