International Programs Office

My name is Rihab El Khatiri. I am 29 years old. I am from Marrakech, Morocco. I am an English teacher, my job is really important for me because it is my source of happiness.

Teaching and being in class is something I enjoy doing. I have always been passionate about books, so in my free time, I love reading. I speak three languages; Arabic, English, and French. Learning new languages allows me to improve my memory and makes me a better communicator.

Next year at Reed College, I hope I can meet new people whom I can be able to exchange culture and knowledge with. 

I received both my B.A. in Chinese and my M.A. in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Beijing Normal University. I have also received training in translation and interpretation from China and the U.S. My academic interests include linguistics, Chinese language and script history, cultural history, lexicography, and translation.

Since middle school, I have been dabbling in various foreign languages, and I’m happy that there is still a long way to go. I find nothing more fascinating than the exploration of languages, whether modern or ancient, as they carry with them all the things in the world, and both the spoken and the written word can provide nourishment for a lifetime. In my free time, I enjoy books, movies, music, badminton, Krav Maga, and car rides.

At Reed, I am eager to understand what students learn and how they learn it. I want to create an environment in which everyone interested in the Chinese language and culture can gain useful knowledge and insight, nurture their interest into a lifelong passion and improve their bilingual and bicultural competency. Exploring the Reed campus and Portland at large will also be a delight.

¡Hola!

I am Camila, I'm from Concordia, Argentina, but I live in Brazil. That means I speak Spanish and Portuguese. When I lived in Buenos Aires, I got a Bachelor's degree in Latin American Literature at UBA. My greatest passion is traveling because I love discovering new cultures and learning new languages. Along with that, I also love reading and teaching literature. I believe books are an alternative way to travel and explore the world.

I've always been a very creative person, so I enjoy spending my time doing art: writing, photography, embroidery (and if it's in nature, much better!). For me, learning a language means acquiring the ability to see the world through new lenses.

It is my second year at Reed College! I am very excited to be part of this community one more time and to meet new people.

Bonjour!

My name is Salomé, I am 22, and I am from Paris. I have always had a keen interest in discovering new cultures and languages as I have traveled a lot since I was a child, in Europe and to countries as different as Iceland and Cameroon. And although my parents are French, I spent the first three years of my life in New Orleans, which is probably why I love multilingual environments and am addicted to cross-cultural exchanges! Among many other things, I love traveling, photography, attending live music, cinema, swimming, hiking, and cooking, and as a master’s student in Literature, I am passionate about my field of studies, which is French and English-speaking Caribbean literature.

I am looking forward to discovering Reed and the Pacific Northwest area and getting to know you all!

My name is Brenda Pimentel, I’m the Spanish Language Scholar from Spain; and this is my second here at Reed College. I studied Spanish Language and Literature at Universitat de Barcelona, and I have some years of experience working with American college-level students that are studying Spanish as a foreign language, especially those that were in Barcelona studying abroad.
I love learning (and teaching!) new languages because it's the best way to meet people and learn about their cultures. That is why I also love dancing, music, and traveling! I also enjoy going to the beach to read and walk around, which is what I'll miss the most about Barcelona.
But I'm also looking forward to the new experiences I'll have in Reed this year: living in an immersive house, where the Spanish language and culture will be the main focus, meeting new students and co-workers, and learning from them. I can't wait for the new year to begin!

My name is Yulia Tishkina. Now am finishing my master's studies at the Department of Semiotics at the University of Tarty, and I got my bachelor's degree in Russian literature and Russian language.

Knowing languages gives a possibility to get to know different cultures and different minds. Each language is a system decoding human life, so learning languages expands individual knowledge about the world. And I think it is important at least to bear in mind the diversity of the world surrounding us. It may sound like a truism, although this characteristic does not belittle the idea. Language as a tool gives access to something new and curious, and the very fact that you can try to understand something quite unfamiliar fascinates me a lot.  And there is also one thing concerning languages is that every language itself is a specific sign system with special rules, norms, and mechanisms of inner regulation, and it is always connected with a huge amount of other systems with their own rules and norms. For me, it is some sort of puzzle to figure out how and when one language influenced another one at different levels.

I can not call myself a cinephile, but when I have free time, I like to watch both fictional and documentary films. Also, I enjoy long walks, which help to collect my thoughts or to spend time with an interesting company.

I do not have any particular expectations about the time at Reed, but I hope it will not be really challenging for me to get into a new context. I am sure it would be an interesting experience, and maybe interest and curiosity are important when you face something new.

My name is Thomas van der Beek, I come from France, but as my name suggests, half of my family is Dutch. I used to be an English teacher in French secondary education but could not resist the call of academia, so I took up my studies and now hold a Master’s degree in studies of the English-speaking world. When I am not doing that, I love to keep myself informed about the socio-political climate in France and abroad. Still, I also like reading and writing, playing football (or soccer if you prefer), cycling and gaming.

What I find fascinating about learning a language is, of course, being able to broaden your cultural horizon and discovering what the language itself and its evolutions reveal about a given society.

During my time at Reed, I will try to pass on as much as possible about the French language and French culture while, of course, providing as comfortable a space to discuss it as possible. Above all, I want this experience to be as pleasant as possible, and an opportunity to share knowledge and have good times.