Ali Kiphart recently completed her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Italian Studies at 小黄片视频. She has now returned to 小黄片视频 to pursue a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate, which trains individuals to teach English to non-native speakers. Having studied abroad in Florence, Italy during her undergraduate degree, Ali is now headed back to Florence this summer to complete her TEFL practicum.
Adding an Italian Studies Minor Inspired Her to Study Abroad
In her freshman year at Kent, Ali decided to take Italian for her foreign language requirement but soon discovered a deeper passion for the subject.
鈥淚 ended up falling in love with Italian, and the class, and the language and the culture.鈥
This newfound love for Italian motivated her to add an to her degree and spend a semester abroad in Florence.
Ali鈥檚 Experience Studying Abroad in Florence, Italy
鈥淎s soon as I left, I thought 鈥業 don鈥檛 care how, I don鈥檛 care when, I need to go back to Florence,鈥 Ali said, explaining how influential her semester abroad was.
The sense of individuality and independence the experience gave her are very valuable to her. While there are resources available, and 小黄片视频 faculty and staff to help out 24/7, Ali said figuring things out on her own helped her learn more about herself.
She considers Florence the best place in the world, because of how walkable it is and how nice she found everyone to be. Her favorite thing to do in Florence was to just start walking and explore the nooks and crannies of the city. Using a map only when she needed to find her way home. As she prepares to return, Ali is looking forward to exploring places she didn鈥檛 get to see the first time.
Ali also enjoyed the opportunity to explore further outside of the city.
鈥淲hile you have your class schedule, it boils down to that you have three four-day weekends to explore the city and (other parts of) Europe.鈥
Ali said the best thing she found in Florence was a cafe called Nab, that was on her way to school. She loves the restaurant culture of the city, and her favorite food she tried was a rigatoni from a restaurant called Trattoria Z脿 Z脿. She is excited to go try more Italian food once she returns to Florence.
Advice for Dealing with Anxiety While Studying Abroad
Upon departing for Florence the first time around, Ali felt very anxious about studying abroad. She found that the anxiety did not stop once she was in Florence, but doing things and talking to people helped a lot. A piece of advice that she says was very helpful to her before she departed for Florence was,
鈥淒on鈥檛 let your nerves and anxieties take control of this experience for you. It鈥檚 not your anxieties experience, it's your experience.鈥
This helped her in remembering why she was participating in the Florence program. Culture shock was also a big factor in her anxiety the first time, which is the case for many travelers.
After her first time studying abroad, she is much more at peace with returning to Florence this upcoming summer. She said the familiarity helps a lot, as well as feeling more connected to the city. She is feeling confident about going back to Florence for her TEFL practicum.
Advice for Future Study Abroad Students in Florence
鈥淛ust go for it. Apply, and if you get accepted- what's stopping you?鈥
Ali advised that it is best to just go for it, and to let the experience speak for itself.
鈥淭he best way to start doing this is exposure therapy, and to just start walking around.鈥 Constantly trying new things and interacting with new people helped her a lot to not be nervous. Keeping in mind the experience was for herself and no one else was also very important.
Overall, she believes the Florence program has changed her life and has put her on a track she never expected.
Looking Forward to Studying Abroad in Florence Again
With her TEFL practicum, Ali is excited to learn from the faculty and students she will be working with in Florence. She believes that being a language learner is a vulnerable position and wants to empathize more with the people she teaches.
Interested in spending a semester abroad in Florence, Italy? Head to the Office of Global Education's website to learn more.
Interested in a TEFL certificate? Head to the Department of English鈥檚 website to learn more.