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ILI

The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) promotes intercultural understanding and diverse communities by providing high-quality language instruction and teacher training.

You are here: Home / News / An Interview with MJ Adams: An International Host and Global Citizen

June 2, 2022

An Interview with MJ Adams: An International Host and Global Citizen

Hosting international students is no easy feat for any individual to accomplish. It is a task that requires much patience and care. It is also one that can be quite enjoyable and rewarding. Local resident MJ Adams recently sat down to talk about her wonderful experiences as a host for many international students at ILI over the years.

At the dinner table with international students.
MJ, Flora, Edumundo & Luis- evening meals were the best time to talk.

MJ first decided to become a host family for international students in 2015 and hosted dozens of aspiring students up until 2021. Students from countries such as Congo Brazzaville, Afghanistan, Japan, and many other countries found themselves in her happy home for their time spent learning the English language at ILI. A local resident of Northampton at the time, she felt inspired after her one of own daughters spent her junior year of high school studying abroad in Italy. After this experience, MJ’s family hosted a young woman from France studying in the United States. These experiences demonstrated to MJ and her family how truly amazing it can be to explore other cultures and diversify paths for education.

After her daughters went off to college to follow their own academic paths, MJ found the house she owned to be a bit too empty. As a result, she reached out to ILI and soon began hosting many international students from all over the world. The students she hosted

Jawid, a Fulbright student experiencing the joys of homeownership by cutting the grass.
Jawid, a Fulbright student experiencing the joys of homeownership by cutting the grass.

ranged in age, were at different chapters in their academic and professional careers, and came from many different countries. From teenagers aspiring to start their careers to established poets and even government officials, MJ welcomed each student into her home during their stay. She describes her experiences and relationships with all the individuals she hosted as “a really important piece of my life, at a time when I could’ve been very lonely, my home and my heart felt very full.” The students’ ultimate goal for traveling to America was to learn English, but MJ explains that during their stay they were able to learn so much more, culturally, than language. Noting that the learning experience went both ways, MJ experienced deep joy in learning about different cultures from all over the world while hosting. From different religions to cooking, she was able to understand so much more about other cultures in the world and how those impactful experiences could shape a person into a global citizen.

For MJ, an extremely significant practice was eating dinners at home with the students in a comfortable family environment. During this time the students could practice their English and learn

A day at the beach with international students.
A day at the beach with Jawid, Mim, Prince and Lastone.

about the culture around them. These important and enjoyable moments let the students unwind, be themselves, and practice the language they were learning. They also learned about other global cultures from each other. Spending time with the students outside of her home also became a way to have fun and learn from one another. Hiking and exploring the area around Northampton helped the students bond. Practices such as these enabled everyone to grow more as an individual and as a global citizen. In her own words, MJ refers to what she learned from these experiences saying, “I don’t just see myself as being an American. I see myself as being a global citizen and this is one piece of being a member of that global environment.” 

During the interview, MJ highlighted how much the students seemed to grow in the time between their arrival and departure. She noted that some students might arrive with barriers in verbal communication despite strong written skills. However, upon their departure from her home there was a noticeable development in their communication skills. This stems from both their hard work and outstanding education at ILI as well as the experiences they had staying in her home. When finally asked about what her overall time hosting has meant to her, MJ said with a smile, “I hope I gave them good solid encouragement and love and support for what they want to do and make the world a better place. I hope that I am remembered as a host family that was curious, engaging, supportive, and enthusiastic, giving them what they needed to be successful but also encouraging them to explore and to step out of their comfort zone.”

Interview and article by Tony Scarpa, UMass Amherst Community Engagement Course: Multilingualism and Literacy, spring 2022

Learn more about becoming a host family here.   

Questions? Contact Amy Ben-Ezra, amy@ili.edu.

Prince, Mim & Jawid ride the ski lift to top of a mountain.
Prince, Mim & Jawid ride the ski lift to top of a mountain.

Article by ILI Staff / News

ILI News

  • ILI is a finalist for the PIEoneer “Language Educator of the Year” 2022 award! June 15, 2022
  • ILI’s Caroline Gear featured in Rotary magazine! June 13, 2022
  • Top 7 Reasons to do an Intensive English Program (IEP) in the Summer June 8, 2022
  • An Interview with MJ Adams: An International Host and Global Citizen June 2, 2022
  • How to Improve your Academic English and Business English Writing Skills May 25, 2022
  • ILI board member Reynolds Whalen earns “40 under Forty” recognition! May 11, 2022

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A huge thank you to the @rivervalleycoop for award A huge thank you to the @rivervalleycoop for awarding ILI the Austin Miller Co-op Hero Award! We are grateful to be among all the amazing winners of this prestigious award! Receiving  the award is Sonya, a member of ILI’s Board of Directors. Caroline, ILI’s Executive Director and Beth, ILI’s Career and College Advisor.
ILI is thrilled to be a recipient of @rivervalleyc ILI is thrilled to be a recipient of @rivervalleycoop 's Austin Miller Award alongside Riquezas del Campo and The Nolumbeka Project! 

The nonprofit award winners receive $500 each and split the proceeds from food sales at River Valley Co-op's annual Strawberry Ice Cream Social and June Change for Change contributions.

➡️Read more here: https://rivervalley.coop/event-details/strawberry-ice-cream-social-austin-miller-awards?fbclid=IwAR3Uh8pZ0v5jO4jbYLG50xFVNcq5OEKPXj6HOmmU6F8e0toyzhFp6Dokt1A
“Juneteenth has never been a celebration of vict “Juneteenth has never been a celebration of victory or an acceptance of the way things are. It’s a celebration of progress. It’s an affirmation that despite the most painful parts of our history, change is possible—and there is still so much work to do.” — Barack Obama

Resources to learn more about Juneteenth:
• https://naacp.org/campaigns/juneteenth
• https://www.history.com/.amp/news/what-is-juneteenth
• https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/06/17/a-proclamation-on-juneteenth-day-of-observance-2022/
After months–or years—of studying online at ho After months–or years—of studying online at home or taking English classes in their home countries, millions of students want a breath of fresh air. 💨

Sunny days, warm weather, cool winds–summertime is a wonderful time to enroll in an Intensive English program. 📚

➡️Check out our recent NEWS Item titled, "Top 7 Reasons to do an Intensive English Program (IEP) in the Summer" here: https://ili.edu/2022/06/08/top-7-reasons-to-do-an-intensive-english-program-iep-in-the-summer/

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For today's #tbt we're reflecting on Paradise City For today's #tbt we're reflecting on Paradise City Arts Festival that happened a few weeks ago! 🎨

Thank you @paradise_city_arts_festivals for designating ILI as the silent auction beneficiary this year. Thank you to the 75+ generous artist for donating their art and thank you to the 20+ volunteers for staffing the table and booth sitting for artists. ✨ What a generous community we live in!

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We are thrilled to be one of three nonprofits that We are thrilled to be one of three nonprofits that are the Change for Change recipients at @rivervalleycoop along with #NolumbekaProject and @riquezasdelcampocoop ✨The three of us will not only receive all Change for Change donations made in June but also the proceeds from this year's Strawberry Ice Cream Social, which returns on June 23rd.

The Nolumbeka Project envisions a Connecticut River Valley where the histories, cultures and persistence of Northeastern Indigenous Peoples are recognized and celebrated, and where all beings coexist in balance and reciprocity.

Riquezas Del Campo is an immigrant-led, worker-owned cooperative farm in Hatfield, MA that began leasing land on the Grow Food Northampton Community Farm in 2021. 

✨Pictured here is Megan, a cashier at RV. Next time you’re shopping, please consider rounding up in support of these nonprofits.

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