Third year Anthropology and Human Biology student Faria Khandaker grew up in Scarborough with a love of Japanese anime and Korean pop music. She thought that she might be interested in learning Korean as part of her university studies. Her father, a software engineer and Bangladeshi immigrant, encouraged her to think of studying Mandarin, and she enrolled in an introductory language course.
"It was a language I never thought I could learn," she says. "I really enjoyed it and I felt confident enough to look at the opportunities available through the International Student Centre." Last summer, she spent a month in Hong Kong under the University of Toronto partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, obtaining two Mandarin language credits towards her degree.
It was not her first experience away from home, having taken advantage of the Government of Canada Explorers' programme to experience French immersion in Trois Pistoles, Quebec. "Once I got over being homesick, I completely appreciated the benefit of being immersed in language and culture," she says.
Working as an assistant at the International Student Centre, she has spoken with students about study abroad opportunities. "So many are concerned about being away from home or the cost," she says. “Now I can say to them, study abroad is one of the best opportunities you can have, and this is the time of your life to do it. There is so much financial assistance available, and you gain skills and confidence from being in a different culture and meeting new people. You're not just a tourist. It's a different experience."
"... study abroad is one of the best opportunities you can have, and this is the time of your life to do it," says Khandaker.
Faria now speaks three languages, and she continues to explore her options. She has been accepted to a study abroad session in Singapore, and while there will continue to improve her Mandarin, as well as adding credits in biology and global health systems. "It's a good skill set, to have more than one language, and be able to navigate around other cultures. I like the idea of taking risks and having something to fall back on."