Moussa Tankari is a graduate student earning an M.A. with an emphasis in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and eventually toward his Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. Moussa is from Niamey, Niger and attended school at Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey.

           Moussa received his B.A. in EFL Education in 1993 after spending 7 years studying English in his home country and 9 months Immersion in the United Kingdom. Following  his degree he continued working in various schools in Niger from 1994-2005 with the last four years of work being done at the high school level. In 2005 he received a Fulbright Scholarship to study at St. Michael’s College in Vermont to research teaching oral languages in difficult circumstances such as schools without electricity, quality materials, or audio equipment, etc. The Fulbright Scholarships are very prestigious grants given to students who are seeking to enrich their education by studying abroad. It was designed to promote mutual understanding between students of the US and other cultures around the world through exchanging education. I had the privilege to speak with Moussa about his experiences in the USA so far. The following is a summary of our discussion.

Now at NAU Moussa is continuing his education to bring back new skills and perspectives to his home country. Always with a smile on his face he told me, “Studying abroad has been a most enjoyable experience.”  The most difficult tasks he had to endure were in applying for the Fulbright. Scoring well on the GRE and TOEFL exams, writing an acceptable letter of purpose, getting the appropriate travel visa paperwork finished, interviewing, etc. helped make his journey possible. Using a J1 Visa while on Fulbright was relatively easy but changing over to an F1 Visa to continue study was more challenging. The NAU staff helped greatly in helping process his paperwork. Most universities will help students in any way possible to grant them the ability to study. Moussa said his best experiences in our American education system have been with the interpersonal interactions and the flexibility in our learning style. “Allowing students to question and dialogue inside the classroom is very different from the more traditional education system in Niger.  Seeing both methods gives me great perspective on how to promote positive changes.” Paying tuition for school is also different for him because it is free in Niger but he thinks paying as we do in America instills a sense of responsibility, for some, to succeed. Moussa pointed out that the educational facilities are top of the line in the USA. This however promotes the insatiable nature America has been known for worldwide. This perspective might change however if more students were able to study in other educational systems and then realize how not to take for granted such things. 

Before traveling Moussa had many of the same feelings as many American exchange students. He was scared of potential rejection, a lack of assistance, and issues involving discrimination. Shortly he realized the stereotypes were very wrong. Through his travels he has seen that there are amazing, helpful people everywhere and the commonly believed stereotypes only promote ignorance. He did tell a story or two about the culture shock of New York City. “It is certainly there but it is only temporary. New York was massive and imposing. Planes were flying everywhere, the streets were noisy, life was fast paced, and simple everyday activities like ordering food were new experiences.”  Within a few weeks the strange customs of the country became easier. In Niger, American Peace Corps members, who are common, experience similar situations. After a few weeks they begin to feel accepted and adapt nicely to a vastly different culture.

Through personal experiences he would say that any politically safe country is far from dangerous and full of helpful smiling people.  In his opinion, the greatest benefits of an American student traveling to foreign countries would be meeting interesting friendly people, experiencing new ways of life, being exposed to new situations such as true poverty, learning gratefulness, but most importantly knowing that intelligence is everywhere it is just a matter of exposure. He also stressed that “…hard work anywhere will allow you grow and succeed; …respect your education.” In his travels he says his most prized personal experience has been the relationships he has created around the globe. At least one lifelong friend has come from every place he has traveled. “The Fulbright program is a demonstration that the USA and the rest of the world can cooperate and settle their differences by exchanging information and cultures then seeing the similarities of humans everywhere.”

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