Photo gallery: LCI summer picnic serves up culture and connection

Three students sit with instructor Jenn Gooding at a picnic table beneath a shelter. Gooding, wearing green, smiles as they talk. — Language and Culture Institute instructor Jenn Gooding (at right) talks with students during the annual summer picnic. Photo by Amanda Broome for Virginia Tech.

About three dozen students, instructors, and friends of the Language and Culture Institute gathered recently at Blacksburg Municipal Park. For many of the students, it was their first experience with a classic American summer cookout. Before the meal, instructors introduced them to Southern favorites including collard greens, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and macaroni and cheese.

The LCI helps international students strengthen their English language skills while becoming more familiar with life and culture in the United States. Its annual summer picnic, a tradition since 1999, offers students a fun and tasty way to experience American culture outside the classroom.

Along with sharing a meal, students played lawn and card games and took part in an informal lesson on local plants led by instructor Becky Etzler.

Ashley Akers and Desirae Linkous of Continuing and Professional Education, another unit within Outreach and International Affairs, attended as special guests in recognition of their ongoing support for the LCI and its students.