Senior Snap- Love My Accent from International Ducks on Vimeo.

While international students are away from home, there are many obstacles for them to overcome during their four years college life, such as language barriers and culture shock. As two seniors and international students, Hailin Zhou and Duxing (Mandy) Liu, initiated a project called “Senior Snap,” to assist international students with the transition to US college.

“Every international student has more or less some accent. That accent is part of your identity. Don’t let your accent keep you away from making new friends, asking questions in class and practicing your English,” says Zhou. “Just be comfortable with your accent, and love it!”

The two international students held their first Senior Snap event on March 12 at the Mills International Center. The event featured guest speaker Jing Li, a UO international alum who now works as an analyst for Amazon. Participants enjoyed English tongue twisters, open-mic testimonials, and a Senior Snap video review. 

“It is wonderful to see so many international students embracing their distinct understanding of a single language and turning what may seem like cultural deficiency into a point of pride and uniqueness,” says Dennis Galvan, vice-provost for international affairs. “It is a refreshing look at language acquisition and its experience at the UO.”

The Love My Accent event was sponsored by Global Studies Institute and the Office of International Affairs.