GUIDELINES FOR MAKING PRESENTATIONS DURING IEW

Share your country and culture with others by giving presentations to:

Your classmates (history, government, social studies, political science, language classes, school clubs, etc.)
Elementary or middle schools
Local community organizations
Senior citizens
Neighborhood associations
Places of worship

Some background on IEW to share during your presentation:

International Education Week, founded in 2000, is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. It is an important event observed all across the United States and in more than 85 countries overseas. IEW is celebrated in November each year during the week before Thanksgiving.

IEW provides an opportunity for exchange students from all over the world living in the United States to teach Americans about their culture and highlights the benefits of international educational exchange programs.

The worldwide celebration of IEW offers a unique opportunity to reach out to people in every nation, to develop a broader understanding of world cultures and languages, and to reiterate the conviction that enduring friendships and partnerships created through international education and exchange are important for a secure future for all countries.

This celebration allows you to make a difference. You can tell others about your culture - your history, government, language, food, holidays, school system and traditions.

Visuals can help your presentation
Show photos of your country, friends and family
Bring a map or your national flag, or make a poster of your country
Share national recipes, or bring in your favorite food
Read your favorite story or fairytale; or recite a national poem
Play your national anthem or song
Prepare a video or PowerPoint presentation

Things your presentation might include
An introduction
Examples:
Introduce yourself in either your native language or another foreign language and in English.
Give your name, where you are from (or where you went on exchange) and why you are here today (share a little bit about your experience as an exchange student).

A story about your exchange or your home country
Examples:
A day in the life of a typical teenager in your home (host) country
What school is like
What it was like to live with your host family - describe a day in the life
Describe a holiday celebration in your host/home country and it's importance
Describe a funny experience you had on exchange - in school, with friends, with host family
Describe the strangest thing you have found out about your host country
Describe the biggest difference you have noticed between your home and your host country
Describe what it's like to think and dream in another language
Describe how your exchange experience has impacted you, your host family and your natural family. Did you change at all? Has it shaped your plans and goals for the future?

A focus on a certain topic(s)
Examples:

Government: Explain how your government is set up and functions. Discuss the differences between your government and the U.S. government.

History: Tell about your nation's history.

Culture: Discuss the different types of food, music, dances, traditions, etc. in your country. Bring in food samples, demonstrate dances/songs, or play traditional music from your country.

Language: Teach students a few simple phrases in your native language.

Important Social/Political/Religious Issues: Talk about some of the specific things that people in your country are interested in or concerned about. You can discuss family trends, economic issues, social/environmental problems, importance of religion, political changes, etc.

Special thanks to the Center for Cultural Interchange, Council on International Educational Exchange and Youth For Understanding USA for providing some of these guidelines.

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