Amira Chhaiouine

French

Amira is a fourth-year cybersecurity major from Casablanca, Morocco. She currently resides in Bel Air, Maryland. Amira loves music, film, art, and fashion. In addition to French and English, she also speaks Arabic. Her favorite on-campus dining spot is Artesano, and her favorite food back home is seafood bastilla. To improve language skills, Amira advises watching films in your target language and engaging in conversation with native speakers. She recommends the film Vivre sa vie by Jean-Luc Godard for French learners.

Jimmy Dong

Chinese

Jimmy is a second-year computer engineering technology major from New York City. He likes to play tennis, badminton, and volleyball. In addition to Chinese and English, he also speaks Fuzhounese. Jimmy’s favorite food back home in NYC is pizza, and his favorite RIT dining spot is Crossroads. His favorite thing about Rochester is the nature. He recommends Tong Hua and Love O2O to Chinese learners looking for entertainment in the language.

Joseph Skinner

Japanese

Joseph is a fifth-year software engineer with a minor in Japanese. From Washingtonville, New York, Joseph is passionate about guitar and pickleball. His favorite thing about Rochester is the people (not the weather), and his favorite on-campus dining spot is Artesano’s. He has studied abroad in Takamatsu, Japan, where he appeared in a newspaper talking about his experience. Joseph’s top tip for language learners is to learn vocabulary using bizarre sentences to help new words and phrases stick in memory.S/P>

Maria Stefaniuk

Russian

Maria is a third-year Chinese and international and global studies double major. Her favorite food is manthi, or Central Asian dumplings, and her favorite season is fall. Her best tip for language learners is to watch shows and listen to music in the target language, keeping track of familiar words and getting used to common speech patterns. For Russian learners, she recommends the shows Kuhnya and Hotel Eleon.

Noah Baumgaertel

German and Italian

Noah is a fourth-year double major focusing on industrial design and international business, as well as political science with a concentration in international relations and security. Originally from Frankfurt, Germany, Noah has lived in Switzerland, Massachusetts, and Brooklyn. Noah loves reading, watching movies, listening to music, biking, and climbing. His favorite RIT dining spot is Brick City. Noah’s top tip for language learners is to actively run an internal monologue in the target language.

Ricardo Barreto

Spanish

Ricardo is a fourth-year industrial designer from McAllen, Texas. In his free time, he plays Dungeons & Dragons and builds custom armor using EVA foam. His favorite food from back home is tacos, and his favorite on-campus dining spot is Ritz. He recommends that language learners get involved with the pop culture and humor of their target language for the most effective immersion. He recommends the song Camisa Negra and the film The Book of Life by Guillermo del Toro to Spanish learners.

Zinedine Sehili

Arabic

Zinedine is a computer science major from Pelum, New York. In his free time, Zinedine likes to read, and his favorite on-campus dining spot is Ritz. His favorite thing about Rochester is the RIT campus when the weather is nice. In addition to English and Arabic, Zinedine also speaks Spanish. His favorite language learning tip is to put Post-It notes on objects to remember their names in the target language.