For me, one of the most important aspects of my cultural exchange experience has been the in-person lectures. While the language training has been invaluable to my getting to know others (as well as to be known myself) that has only been part of a whole. The lectures help create a framework of cultural history and expectations within which my experiences fit inside. One facet of the jewel is getting the tools to communicate, but the lectures help give me the tools to understand others.