Name: Mollye Shacklette
E-mail: mshackl1@nd.edu
Location of Study: Siena, Italy
Program of Study: Dante Abroad Siena
Sponsors: Nanovic

 

A brief personal bio:

I am a freshman Business (Marketing) and Italian double major from Shreveport, LA. At Notre Dame, I am a member of SIBC, College Democrats, the Italian Club, and McGlinn’s interhall sand volleyball team. I have studied Italian for the past year with two intensive courses and I love attending the Italian Coffee Hours.

Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:

I was a junior in high school when I left the United States for a trip to Italy. From the first moment I stepped off the plane, I fell in love with every aspect of the country. I decided then that I would find a way to come back to truly experience Italy, not as a tourist, but as a part of the Italian community. To fulfill this quest, I declared an Italian major and began to become involved with Italian culture clubs and activities at Notre Dame. However, I know that the only way to truly experience a country and its culture is to immerse oneself in it. I’m so excited for this chance to cultivate my love for Italy, improve my understanding of the Italian language, and grow personally. As a double major with marketing, I am also extremely interested in the way cultural difference between countries affect the way business is done and products are branded. By living in a foreign country and having the chance to truly learn about how marketing professionals address these issues, I hope to bring new perspectives to my coursework in the U.S.

What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:

I have clear goals for my study in Italy. I hope to not only learn Italian but to make many Italian friends and participate in daily Italian life. Since I will be living with other international students instead of native Italians, I will take advantage of the activities Dante Alighieri offers to meet Italian people and interact with the community as a whole. I hope that my study in Italy with this grant will benefit my studies for my Italian major and prepare me to return for a semester during my junior year. At the end of the program, I intend to have gained an advanced, comprehensive knowledge of the Italian language and to be familiar and a part of Italian culture.

My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:

1. At the end of the summer, I will be able to read Italian literature in its original form 
2. At the end of the summer, I will be able to hold extended conversations about many different topics with a native Italian speaker 
3. At the end of the summer, I will have knowledge of the history of Siena and have participated in the historical Palio race

My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience:

As any foreign traveler knows, the acquisition of language comes not only from the classroom, but from an immersion in the culture. Therefore, besides the intensive private and group classes, I will become involved with many activities in Siena, both through the program and through my own initiative. One major benefit of this program is that I’ll be studying with students from all over the world; our only common language will be Italian and it will be incredible to get to know many other people using only my foreign language skills. The location of Siena also provides many opportunities for me to delve into Italy’s culture. Siena has a music conservatory, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, which gives many concerts throughout the year. As a violist and pianist, I have studied music for most of my life and would love the opportunity to see classical Italian music performed by such a renowned institution. Perhaps the most obvious and necessary event to be involved with while in Siena is the Palio. The opportunity to join the community through the program to celebrate such an ancient tradition is unparalleled and an extraordinary way to truly be able to experience authentic Sienese life.

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Reflection on my language learning and intercultural gains:

Reflection on my summer language abroad experience overall:

How I plan to use my language and intercultural competences in the future: