Online Cultural Exchange Held with Sputnik International Education Centre, Sri Lanka
Online Cultural Exchange Held with Sputnik International Education Centre, Sri Lanka
2026.02.27 updateNews
On Wednesday, February 25th, 13 Global Volunteer (GLOBOLA) members and 9 students from the Sputnik International Education Centre in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, came together for an online cultural exchange. The event was organized by GLOBOLA in collaboration with Sputnik's teaching faculty.
The event kicked off with an icebreaker, during which participants separated into three breakout rooms where the Sputnik students taught the GLOBOLA members how to give a self-introduction in Sinhala, the official language of Sri Lanka.
My name is ____. → Mahge nama (name). I am from ____. → Mahge upangama (hometown). My favorite fruit is ____. → Mama kemati palathura (fruit).
After ten minutes of practice, everyone returned to the main room. One member from each room introduced themselves, after which, the Sputnik students judged who gave the best introduction.
The first event activity was a tongue twister game. The members were challenged to recite a tongue twister in the other’s language.
Japanese: tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da
(The guest next door is a guest who often eats persimmons.) Sinhala: Ala loriya peralila luunu loriya roll wela
(Trucks loaded with potatoes overturned, and trucks loaded with onions rolled.)
Again, after ten minutes of practice in breakout rooms, everyone returned to the main room. One Japanese member recited the Sinhalese tongue twister, and a Sri Lankan member recited the Japanese tongue twister. The Japanese members were judged by the Sri Lankan members, and the Sri Lankan members were judged by Ms. Tanigawa, a Japanese teacher at Okayama University of Science.
The second event activity was a guessing game titled “Unusual Things in My Country,” in which members saw pictures of unfamiliar objects and tried to guess what they were and what they were used for. For example, the GLOBOLA members presented a taiyaki cooker, and the Sputnik students presented a grain silo.
The event wrapped up with a commemorative photo. It was later discovered that all nine of the Sputnik members will be coming to OUS in April. This upcoming visit is expected to further strengthen international exchange between the two institutions.
The event kicked off with an icebreaker, during which participants separated into three breakout rooms where the Sputnik students taught the GLOBOLA members how to give a self-introduction in Sinhala, the official language of Sri Lanka.
My name is ____. → Mahge nama (name).
I am from ____. → Mahge upangama (hometown).
My favorite fruit is ____. → Mama kemati palathura (fruit).
After ten minutes of practice, everyone returned to the main room. One member from each room introduced themselves, after which, the Sputnik students judged who gave the best introduction.
The first event activity was a tongue twister game. The members were challenged to recite a tongue twister in the other’s language.
Japanese: tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da
(The guest next door is a guest who often eats persimmons.)
Sinhala: Ala loriya peralila luunu loriya roll wela
(Trucks loaded with potatoes overturned, and trucks loaded with onions rolled.)
Again, after ten minutes of practice in breakout rooms, everyone returned to the main room. One Japanese member recited the Sinhalese tongue twister, and a Sri Lankan member recited the Japanese tongue twister. The Japanese members were judged by the Sri Lankan members, and the Sri Lankan members were judged by Ms. Tanigawa, a Japanese teacher at Okayama University of Science.
The second event activity was a guessing game titled “Unusual Things in My Country,” in which members saw pictures of unfamiliar objects and tried to guess what they were and what they were used for.
For example, the GLOBOLA members presented a taiyaki cooker, and the Sputnik students presented a grain silo.
The event wrapped up with a commemorative photo. It was later discovered that all nine of the Sputnik members will be coming to OUS in April. This upcoming visit is expected to further strengthen international exchange between the two institutions.