The case for classroom pen pals

The case for classroom pen pals

1. A pen pal is a person you write letters back and forth with. It’s usually someone who lives far away and maybe even someone you’ve never met! You write about your life, your experiences, and your interests, and your pen pal does the same. Perhaps without even realizing it, you and your pen pal share parts of your culture with one another. In fact, being active with a pen pal is an excellent way to raise
   cultural awareness
   , develop
   empathy
   , and relate to the life experiences of others. To increase learning about people and cultures around the world, pen pal programs should be a part of schools everywhere.

Raising cultural awareness

2. Cultural awareness refers to our knowledge of and interest in learning about different cultures. Many schools try to help students develop cultural awareness through projects that require research in books or online. Sometimes, students are asked to talk about their own cultures.
3. Students should always be encouraged to talk about their own cultures. However, data suggests that public schools in the United States are not

   diverse

   enough for this to have a strong impact on raising cultural awareness. It’s true that public schools are more diverse than ever. Still, a recent study showed that more than one-third of all students in the U.S. went to a public school that was mainly students of their own race or

   ethnic

   background.
4. I argue that a pen pal program is the most effective way to raise the cultural awareness of students. Usually, these programs have students write to other students who live in a different part of the

   nation

   , or even a different country. Pen pals can share information like the sports they play, what foods they like to eat, their hobbies, and the music they listen to. All of these things and much more are part of a person’s culture.
5. Additionally, pen pal programs don’t have to connect students with other students. For example, they can connect students to senior citizens or people serving in the military overseas. The cultural awareness that can be gained by pen pal programs is limitless.

The power of personal connection

6. When students have the chance to make personal connections across cultures, studies show that cultural awareness follows. In 2013, a study looked at American university students and students from different nations who attended the same college in the United States. They took part in a program that paired them together to talk about their lives and experiences. After the program ended, the study found that the American students were better at relating to people of different races, religions, and nationalities. They increased their cultural awareness.
7. Another study looked at a pen pal program between university students. American students and students in Malawi, Africa, exchanged letters with one another. The students talked about their daily lives, cultures, and languages. The study found that all of the students became stronger writers and better communicators. In addition, when the program ended, both American and Malawian students showed a much deeper cultural awareness.

Communication and friendship

8. Technology has made having a pen pal easier than ever. Email and video chats make writing or talking back and forth quick and easy. And the more two people exchange information about themselves, the more likely they are to develop a real connection.
9. Teachers who have started pen pal programs report that some students continue writing letters after the end of the school year. This suggests that pen pal programs result in not just deeper cultural awareness, but also true friendship.