Teaching abroad: Q&A with Dr. Hopper about her Fulbright experience

Dr. Missy Hopper, a distinguished faculty member in Mississippi State’s Department of Teacher Education and Leadership, is completing her Fulbright U.S. Scholar program in Bahrain during the 2024-25 academic year.

What is it like teaching classes at the University of Bahrain?

“Faculty at the university have been welcoming and professional, and although many of the policies and procedures at the University of Bahrain (UoB) are different, it is much the same as teaching classes at any other university—including Mississippi State. Students are committed to their programs, and like other students, they worry about grades, schedules and how to meet commitments of family along with academics. There is one interesting difference. Sunday is the first day of the work week, so I have Sunday/Wednesday classes.” 

What has been a surprising experience so far?

“I knew I would work on gaining experience with the Arabic language while here, but I was invited to join a Language Exchange group who are working on developing their skills in Spanish. What a surprise I would move to Bahrain and regain my Spanish! I recently went to a lecture with the group, ‘From Fear to Fluency,’ by award winning speaker Mohammed Ali Shukri at the Royal University for Women.” (Pictured is the group at the lecture.)

What have you enjoyed the most?

“I have enjoyed getting to know the Bahraini people and experiencing the cultural differences. There are two other Fulbrighters here. We have gotten together at least once a week to go to an event or visit a cultural site.”

What kind of research are you working on?

“It takes approximately a year to go through the approval process necessary for initiating research. Since I am only at the UoB for 10 months, new research was not possible. As a result of this timing, I have joined other faculty on research that was in progress before I arrived on communicative language teaching. I have also been editing articles resulting from that research.”

What does this experience mean to you?

“Being a U.S. Scholar Fulbright recipient has been a highlight of my career. I believe as Mark Twain stated, ‘Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.’ — Innocents Abroad, 1869”