Interview with Ellen Hunt, July 30, 2021

Partial Transcript: Today is July 30, 2021. I'm Randolph Adams who served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1966 to 1969. I'm interviewing Ellen Hunt. Ellen was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco from June 1981 to June 1983. Ellen served in the education sector.

Segment Synopsis: Hunt's father was in the military. It was the norm in Hunt's family to study foreign languages. Before joining Peace Corps, Hunt had studied Spanish and Arabic. When Hunt was three months old, her family moved to Egypt. Later, Hunt's family moved to Lebanon and Hunt spent her freshman year at the American University of Beirut. Because of the outbreak of the civil war in Lebanon, Hunt transferred to the University of California, Santa Cruz, which is known for its student activism. After graduating from college, Hunt applied and interviewed for various jobs but decided that Peace Corps might be a better fit. Hunt then applied to Peace Corps and was accepted.

Keywords: Activism; Applications; Applying; College majors; Evacuation; Family; Regional conflict; Undergraduate education

Subjects: Altruism; American University of Beirut; Arabic language; California; Central America; Change; College students--Attitudes; Early life; Egypt; Evacuation; Father; International travel; Language and languages; Lebanon; Military; Monterey (Calif.); Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--1980-1990; Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Reputation; San Francisco (Calif.); South Africa; South America; Spanish language; Universities and colleges; University of California, Santa Cruz; Volunteer workers in education; War

Partial Transcript: How long did the application process take?

Segment Synopsis: For Hunt, the application process took about six months. Initially, Hunt was offered a position at an agriculture project in Malawi. Hunt declined since the posting would not allow her to utilize her Arabic language skills. Additionally, Hunt's mother been to Africa as an airline stewardess and thought Malawi was not the best fit for her daughter. Subsequently, Hunt was placed in Morocco.

Keywords: Applications; Applying; Decisions; Family; Flight attendant; Skills

Subjects: Africa; Agriculture; Arabic language; Careers; Language and languages; Malawi; Morocco; Peace Corps (U.S.); Spanish language

Partial Transcript: Obviously, your--your parents were already aware that you were offered one position. Well, what was their reaction to you joining the Peace Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt's parents recognized that joining the Peace Corps was important to Hunt. Hunt strove to address the three goals of the Peace Corps. Hunt was interested in the situation in the Middle East and graduated from college with a degree in Politics and International Relations. Hunt also has a master's degree in International Education which she earned later in life.

Keywords: Altruism; College majors; First Goal; Interests; International relations; Master's degree; Politics; Second Goal; Third Goal; Undergraduate education

Subjects: Altruism; Education; International education; Middle East; Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Training; Undergraduate

Partial Transcript: Again, none of your studies or degrees dealt with education. [Laughter] . . . How did you react to that, getting into an education program?

Segment Synopsis: Formal education was valued in Hunt's family. While living in Monterey, Hunt found that she enjoyed tutoring Spanish.

Keywords: Friends; Jobs; Master's degree

Subjects: Arabic language; Beirut (Lebanon); Education; Fathers; French; George Washington University; Language and languages; Lebanon; Monterey (Calif.); Peace Corps (U.S.); Spain; Spanish language; Teachers; Teaching; Tutors and tutoring; Universities and colleges; Values

Partial Transcript: When you got your invitation, did it specify exactly what dimension of education you're working in?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt believes that she was asked to teach English rather than vocational education. For a woman to instruct vocational education at that time, especially in an Islamic country, would have been unconventional.

Keywords: Cultural differences; Different; ESL; English as a second language; Gender roles; Invitations; Unconventional

Subjects: Education; English; Islam; Manners and customs; Muslims; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Teaching; Vocational education; Volunteer workers in education

Partial Transcript: Where did you do your pre-service training?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt's group first met for a week in Philadelphia for pre-service training. Most of the pre-service training was in Rabat and included a three-day home stay. Hunt admits that she ignored the handouts from training for a year. Consequently, she was less prepared for her assignment than she should have been. Including the 60 trainees in Hunt's cohort, there were 120 Volunteers serving in Morocco at the time. A separate cohort of vocational education teachers arrived while the pre-service training for Hunt's group was still ongoing. Hunt's fluency in Arabic was already advanced enough to be instructed along with another trainee in the Moroccan dialect. The trainees did practice teaching English. For safety reasons, Hunt asked to be given a posting were there was another volunteer.

Keywords: Assignment; Cohorts; Cuisine; Cultural Training; Cultural differences; Distance; ESL; English as a second language; Fluency; Health training; Host families; Illness; Inoculations; Language skills; Language training; Preparation; Questions; Rabat (Morocco); Site mates; Teaching English as a second language; Technical training; Unprepared; Vaccinations

Subjects: Advice; Arabic language; Books; Change; Danger; Dialects; Education; International travel; Learning; Lebanon; Manners and customs; Morocco; Orientation; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Philadelphia (Pa.); Rabat (Morocco); Safety; Sick; Teachers; Teaching; Transportation; Vocational education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: --Um--what would you say if you were running the training now, [clears throat] were there certain strengths or weaknesses from your training that you'd change or you'd like to keep?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt suggests more training on religion and gender roles, especially in rural areas. Hunt also suggests longer and more varied home stays. Hunt approves of the technical training that she received.

Keywords: Gender roles; Home stays; Host families; Technical training; Variety

Subjects: Islam; Muslims; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Religion; Rural; Training

Partial Transcript: What was gonna be your oversight, your supervisor?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt was assigned to a high school in Nador, a regional capital which is close to Spain. Several volunteers were assigned to other schools in the town.

Keywords: Assumptions; Jobs; Return; Site mates; Supervisor

Subjects: Europe; Geography; High schools; Melilla (Spain); Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Schools; Spain; Travel; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So, did you find a home or did you live with a . . .

Segment Synopsis: Hunt rented an apartment together with the other female volunteer assigned to Nador. The third volunteer assigned to the town was a man who lived with a local family. Hunt had a fifteen-minute walk to school. Hunt's site had a population of 150,000 people.

Keywords: Amenities; Disabled persons; Distance; Family; Foreigners; Host family; Kids; Return; Running water; Site mates; Socializing

Subjects: Germany; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Population; Rent; Roommates; Volunteers; Water

Partial Transcript: What . . . describe, sort of, a typical day, if there . . .

Segment Synopsis: Hunt fondly remembers spending time on the building's roof with the other female residents doing housework and socializing. Hunt describes the family history of her landlord. For a time, Hunt and her roommate hired a maid.

Keywords: Cultural exchange; Family; Gender roles; Jobs; Landlord; Maid; Roof; Socializing; Study abroad

Subjects: Building; Chores; Emotions; Europe; International travel; Landlord and tenant; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Russia; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: When did you start classes in the morning?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt had class every day and was responsible for two or three classes at different levels. The teachers at Hunt's school mostly kept to themselves.

Keywords: Berbers; Conflicts; King Hassan (Hassan II); Norms; Problems

Subjects: Boarding schools; Culture; Education; History; Lifestyles; Manners and customs; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Schedules, School; Teachers; Teaching; Technology

Partial Transcript: What about your--uh--teaching approach? Did you pick anything up in pre-service training that you were able to use?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt used the Realia method in her classroom and the Total Physical Response method.

Keywords: Pre-service training; Realia method; TPR; Teaching English as a foreign language; Total Physical Response method (TPR)

Subjects: Education; Morocco; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Student activities; Teachers; Teaching

Partial Transcript: Is there anything in particular, any memorable moment during your service that--um--you think about?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt felt closest to the women in her landlord's family. Hunt felt that she was part of the family and they spent a lot of time together.

Keywords: Acceptance; Host family; Invitations; Landlord; Socializing

Subjects: Emotions; Interpersonal relations; Landlord and tenant; Memories; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Women

Partial Transcript: Were there any extracurricular activities you became involved with . . . with the students?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt has always enjoyed sports and would observe the students practicing physical education. Hunt also spent time with two sisters who were learning martial arts.

Keywords: Extracurricular activities; Interests; Sports

Subjects: Education; Karate; Martial arts; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Physical education and training; Sisters; Sports; Student activities; Students; Teacher; Teaching; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: --Um--I did do for my secondary project, I taught--uh--English . . .

Segment Synopsis: Hunt and another Volunteer both taught vocation-related English for engineers at a nearby site. Hunt created a book of teaching games and exercises. Hunt was also able to have some interaction with a new cohort of Peace Corps trainees.

Keywords: Co-teachers; Cohorts; Contact; Exercises; Pre-service training; Site mates

Subjects: Books; Cooperation; Education; Engineers; English; Games; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Students; Teachers; Teaching; Travel; Vocational education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Was Peace Corps staff at all involved with you? Did they come out to visit? Did they provide any oversight?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt recalls two site visits by Peace Corps staff as well as mid-service training in Tangier. Hunt believes it would have been helpful for her to have been initially paired at her work site with a native teacher as Hunt could have then learned to teach better faster. At mid-service training, Hunt got helpful teaching information from Volunteers who had been in-country longer.

Keywords: Excited; Mid-service training; Site visits

Subjects: Education; Emotions; Learning; Moroccans; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Staff; Tangier (Morocco); Teachers; Teaching; Training

Partial Transcript: Anything change over your two years in terms of either your living arrangements or your work?

Segment Synopsis: The male volunteer assigned to Hunt's town had been living in an isolated, dangerous neighborhood. Eventually, he moved into an empty room at Hunt and her roommate's apartment. Hunt reveals that her female roommate married a volunteer from an earlier cohort and returned early to the U.S.

Keywords: Cohorts; ESL; Isolation; Jobs; Leave; Living arrangements; Neighborhood; Return; Scared; Site mates; Teaching English as a second language

Subjects: Change; Children; Danger; Education; Emotions; Fears; International travel; Interpersonal relations; Marriage; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Roommates; Safety; Teachers; Teaching; Travel; United States; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Did you take any vacations during your service?

Segment Synopsis: On one vacation, Hunt met up with her parents in Spain. Hunt also traveled on her own to several places in Morocco and spent some time with Peace Corps trainees who had arrived in-country. Hunt found the local people to be welcoming. Hunt's male housemate took a vacation to Togo, Benin, and Senegal.

Keywords: Cohorts; Locals; New; Pre-service training; Trainees; Vacation

Subjects: Benin; Ghana; Holidays; International travel; Moroccans; Morocco; Nador (Nador, Morocco); Parents; Peace Corps (U.S.); Peace Corps (U.S.)--Morocco; Roommates; Senegal; Spain; Togo; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: My big . . . my accomplishment was, I think, what the goals are, which is I did my best to train young people in another language . . . .

Segment Synopsis: Hunt believes that her greatest accomplishment in her service was to address the three goals of the Peace Corps. After returning to the U.S., Hunt became a certified teacher of English as a second language. In 2014, Hunt returned to Morocco to teach English, as both and volunteer and a paid teacher. Hunt has been active with Friends of Morocco, which is a group mostly of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

Keywords: Career paths; Contributions; ESL; English as second language; Excited; First Goal; Friends; Friends of Morocco; Grants; Jobs; Return; Returned Peace Corps Volunteers; Second Goal; Third Goal; Waiting periods

Subjects: Education; Emotions; English; Holidays; Home; International travel; Middle schools; Morocco; Students; Teachers; Teaching; Travel; Voluntarism; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: I'd like to ask you--uh--to talk a bit about your perspectives now--um--what you may have learned during your Peace Corps service especially in three areas . . .

Segment Synopsis: Hunt has learned that despite cultural differences, all people are basically the same, sharing the same needs and desires. Hunt contends that to promote change, it is first necessary to establish trust between the groups, which requires understanding. Although people might be divided by different cultures, Hunt states that people with similar interests and personalities can, and do, still work together.

Keywords: Changes; Cooperation; Cultural differences; Interests; Jobs; Relationships; Understanding

Subjects: Professions

Partial Transcript: I take it Peace Corps service had some influence on your follow-up career?

Segment Synopsis: Peace Corps service strengthen Hunt's interest in international relations and cross cultural experiences.

Keywords: Altruism; Career paths; Family; Identity; Influences; Interests; Personal growth

Partial Transcript: You said, some people, recent Volunteers, have suggested---uh--Peace Corps has ended its lifetime, its value. You know it's--uh--time to close it down. What . . . what would your reaction to that be?

Segment Synopsis: Hunt believes that Peace Corps is still relevant for economic development and for building bridges between people.

Keywords: First Goal; Host family; Second Goal; Study abroad; Support; Third Goal

Subjects: Intercultural communication; Interpersonal relations and culture