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17.04.20 11:30 PM Comment(s) By Christian Education

We know that it's hard to not be able to go outside, travel, and experience the wonders of the world face to face. However, there are other things we can do during this time to connect with the vibrance and culture of the world we live in.

Here are some ways you can do this:

Learn a language. The character of cultures can be found in their languages. Other than the fact that you will understand another language, there are also other benefits to learning languages. Some of these benefits include: improvement in memory, an enhanced understanding of your first language, and the opening up of career choices.

Sidenote: ICCE offers credit for languages for completed Rosetta Stone modules. Currently, Rosetta Stone are offering students 3 months free access to their language learning software. Click the link below to find out more.

Learn another Language with Rosetta Stone

Watch a documentary about travel or wildlife. Some parts of the earth are difficult to access even without a lockdown! However, some brave filmmakers have gone out to these places and filmed amazing footage to share with the rest of the world. There are plenty of these documentaries on Youtube and streaming services. Don't let being locked in stop you from learning about the world!

Read a book written by an author who isn't from your own country. It can be very interesting, eye-opening, and refreshing to read a book that was written by someone who was brought up in a different culture from you. You can get a first-hand view about how traditions, worldviews, hierarchies, education, and religions affect different people in the societies that they live in. And you'll be able to catch a glimpse of how people adapt to and are moulded by the environment they grow up in.

Talk to a friend who lives in another country. Many of us are privileged to have the internet to help us communicate with people all over the world. Maybe check in on a friend who lives abroad, ask them how they are, and what they do to keep busy at this time. If you are learning their language, you could practice with them!

Cook! The trademark of many countries is their food. Why not try making the national dish of the country you want to visit the most? Did you know that the national dish of Peru is called Ceviche, which is a raw fish marinated in spices and lime. The current (highly-debated) national dish of the UK is Chicken Tikka Masala, which is a British take on a South Asian dish. You can learn a lot about the culture of countries by learning about the food they eat.

Try Your Hand at a Chicken Tikka Masala

Make Art. The world is full of so many colourful and interesting things and the biggest source of inspiration for the artists among us. You could make some art with geography, culture, and nature in mind. E.g. Create your own map of the world, draw pictures of animals from different continents, do some research about art from different cultures.

Challenge: Try to memorise all the countries of the world and place them on the map. Bonus points if you can match all the countries with their flags as well!