Word TravELS Issue 02 - February 2016

February 2016

ELS Newsletter, Issue 02

Professors from Shanghai completed their APPEMI studies at the English Language School, Faculty of Extension.

Word TravELS |

Contents

English Language School Executive Director’s Message

Lunar New Year: ELS celebrations in Enterprise Square

February 2016 Dear readers: Word travels, but time flies.

It is hard to believe that we have already completed the first term of 2016 here at the University of Alberta English Language School (ELS), and what a busy and exciting seven weeks it has been!

3 Student Achievements: Ayed Almari and Youngjun Kim

4-6 ELS Student Corner: ESL 110’s class-time soccer game

From Lunar New Year and Valentine celebrations to impromptu soccer matches, activity levels and School spirit have remained high through the tail end of winter.

Yet, even as we celebrated, many ELS students and staff quietly went about their work, and in this issue you will read and learn about their impressive achievements.

Indeed, it is with great pride and excitement that I invite you to immerse yourself in the following articles, photographs, and features and catch up and check in with our talented students and tireless staff.

6-7 ELS in Japan: Reflections on a week -long visit to NUIS

8-9 @ualbertaels on Instagram: a photo montage of ELS

I am sure you will agree that, without a doubt, Word TravELS! We look forward to connecting with you again via our next digital newsletter.

Sincerely,

10-11 APPEMI: ELS announces an upcoming Summer Symposium

12 ELS Events: Looking back at ELS events from the past semester

Mimi Hui Executive Director, English Language School

12

Final Words: Upcoming events, Top Ten column, and more

13 Word TravELS | 2

ELS By The Numbers Lunar New Year

T

he sound of drums filled the Atrium on Monday, February 8, attracting onlookers from throughout

Enterprise Square to the spectacle of the lion dance.

Amidst the vivacious lion dance, the ELS Lunar New Year celebration included a paper cutting station, tutorials on how to use chopsticks, a photo booth, and an impromptu student performance. Thank you all those who planned as well as attended the event. Happy Year of the Monkey!

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ELS Student Achievements From ELS to Engineering

By Tracey Hilden, Social Media Coordinator, ELS

A

yed Almari, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, first came to

Ayed’s success from his hard work and dedication was

study with the English Language School in 2011.

reinforced in the classroom setting, a truly diverse

Determined to study engineering with the University of

experience for Ayed. “I met a lot of students from China,

Alberta, Ayed took classes with ELS to help him prepare

Brazil, Turkey, Columbia, and a lot of other places. Here

for those future steps. Now in his fourth year of

you actually get the chance to meet a lot of people and

Mechanical Engineering, Ayed looks back on his

get to know more about the other societies, because the

semesters with ELS.

students all come from international places. It’s a great

Starting with Intensive Day Program and progressing to

opportunity to learn,” Ayed says. Upon graduation, he is

the English for Academic Purposes courses, Ayed supplemented his coursework with further part-time classes, including English for Arabic Speakers. “As an Arabic speaker, reading and writing are the biggest

considering working in Canada to gain both international work experience and further understanding in dealing with other nationalities and cultures before heading back to Saudi Arabia.

problem,” Ayed says. He was also determined to increase his English vocabulary. His technique? “I needed to read a lot so I could invest in my word bank,” he says, and recounts how he used to spend his spare time reading short stories. “I didn’t like reading, so I started with small books and stories. After reading a few stories, you have a lot of words in your mind, and then writing an essay isn’t that difficult.”

Ayed worked very hard to improve his English in a short time span, complementing his four hours of class time every day with four more hours of study and revision. He often watched English movies – with no subtitles – which exposed him to a broader range of English vocabulary: the stepping stones for his continued success at the University of Alberta.

“It’s true that engineering is more scientific and technical, but we still have a lot of these academic words that I was exposed to here, so the EAP program — 140 and 145 — exposed me to a lot of academic words which really helped improve my academic language.”

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Ayed Almari, former ELS student, is now in his fourth year of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta.

Ayed also took advantage of the English Language

through and try to absorb the language; other words you

School’s Homestay program, in which a student is paired

can just learn from the context. Talk with people, and

with a Canadian host family. “This was another big

have some other conversations.”

investment which really helped,” Ayed says, explaining

Now, on North Campus, Ayed has been part of the

how he would visit with his host family over dinner for an hour each night, “talking and sharing stories.”

administration for the Saudi Student Association for over four years, as the Sports and Wellness leader. He

In the summer months, Ayed enjoyed the long summer

organizes biweekly soccer and volleyball training, and

days that Edmonton boasts, pointing out Edmonton’s

also helps organize club ceremonies and festivals.

beauty and liveliness with the multitude of festivals that

Academically, Ayed continues to succeed as the project

the city has to offer. The winter months failed to slow

manager for his Engineering Capstone Design Project last

Ayed’s enthusiasm, as he continued his fast pace even in

semester —a project where fourth year Engineering

the snow and cold.

students are given a real-life scenario to solve.

The English program here isn’t comparable. I haven’t been in other English programs, but from what I hear from other students here it’s really intense and good, and if you’re putting the effort and time outside of class, you’re going to benefit a lot.

Ayed’s final Capstone Project for Mechanical Engineering

The English Language School is proud to have been Ayed’s first steps to success and to have played a role in

Reflecting on his time with ELS, Ayed offers some advice

Ayed’s academic career. When considering

to current ELS students. “First, don’t panic. When I came

recommending ELS to future students, Ayed says, “I’d

here, I had no English. I could say hi, hello, and that’s it.

give them a push! The English program here isn’t

Just try to interact with people, even with signals and

comparable. I haven’t been in other English programs,

facial expressions, and it’s going to get easier. Watch

but from what I hear from other students - here it’s really

movies with no subtitles. Do a lot of readings – small

intense and good, and if you’re putting the effort and

stories, and try to get the most out of it. Just skim

time outside of class, you’re going to benefit a lot.”

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ELS Student Corner ELS and ETS

No Yellow Cards Here

By Tracey Hilden, Social Media Coordinator, ELS

By Tracey Hilden, Social Media Coordinator, ELS

N

D

ineteen years after his first studies with the English Language School, Youngjun Kim returned to study

alongside an exciting new venture. Mr. Kim is back to engage in English language training while also studying with the Faculty of Extension’s Dr. Kevin Jones and Dr. Rob Shields from January to September 2016. Mr. Kim will undertake a position with the City of Edmonton this coming September. As an engineering major in University, Mr. Kim was impressed with how Edmonton tries to preserve nature during his first stay in Edmonton, which is only one reason for why he decided to return.

esks pushed the side, chairs neatly placed on the peripheries of the classroom: this wasn’t an ordinary

class for ESL 110.

No, indeed it was another installation of student presentations in which students taught each other how to do something. I had the pleasure of joining the class for several of their presentations—I learned how to cook Saudi mandi, a rice and lamb dish cooked in a pot in the ground (and correspondingly enjoyed a delicious lunch of magloba cooked by some of our students); I learned how to make South American kites; I even learned how to play the guitar and wow a crowd with card and magic tricks.

Finally, I learned how to play soccer, leading to a classwide soccer game organized in an empty classroom.

The stage was set and teams divided. After a quick tutorial on how to pass, the game was underway in a flurry of laughter, light-heartedness, and friendly On May 2, 2014, Seoul saw a train crash which resulted in around 170 injuries (more details here). According to Mr. Kim, the Mayor at the time emphasized the importance of subway safety, which was a major inspiration in Mr. Kim’s decision to pursue his professional studies. Having worked with the Public Transportation in Seoul, Mr. Kim is returning to partner with the City of Edmonton. His research focus is on LRT and bus safety - in particular, ensuring that the mechanics of the public transportation are up to code and passengers are able to travel safely.

Word TravELS | 6

competition. The first goal came after a few minutes, but the score seemed irrelevant. The level of teamwork and communication in English together exemplified the spirit of the game and players.

A

fter the soccer game, the class wrote paragraphs in small groups about their experience of playing soc-

cer, and some even branched out to write about their

“

Last Thursday, we were playing soccer in the classroom with our classmates. We had two teams:

Maureen’s team versus the other team. We had so many

experience of playing soccer on North Campus at the

good players. We were serious to play the game. But, in

University of Alberta.

the end, Maureen’s team won, because Maureen wanted

Here are some unedited recollections of the students’ experience playing soccer as part of the “how-to” presentations.

“

We were learning about how to play soccer and teaching our classmates in a big classroom. We di-

vided into two teams of men and women together. We started teaching everyone how to save the net. After, we made passes together and we attacked the other team.

Finally, we could score. We were there to laugh and watch how the teams are playing soccer. We had fun in the classroom. It was a great moment with the teacher Maureen. In the game, some people took pictures too.

to win and every student wanted to grant Maureen’s wish. In the end, every person was very happy. We had a very good time.

“

We went to the University of Alberta to play soccer.

We went to the university by train at 11:30 AM. We

were excited to play soccer because we couldn’t play soccer last weekend. We arrived at the University gym at 12:00 PM. We saw a soccer field. We were surprised by a large-sized field. We separated into two teams.

Red team: Fatih, Burhan, Orhan, Mamdouh, Rabie Blue team: Feras, Jong, Robert, Wissam We were very happy and had fun. Our favorite sport is soccer. We promise to play soccer every week.

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ELS in Japan

By Mark Bell, Program Coordinator, ELS

R

ecently, the Niigata University of International and

visit the brewing and bottling facility and involved an ex-

Information Studies (NUIS) graciously invited a small

planation of the fermenting procedure and of course, a

group of staff and students to participate in a cultural

tasting. Niigata is home to over 100 Sake breweries and

exchange between our two institutions. The group that

produces the most delicious Sake for both domestic and

happily attended were: Mr. Michael Viola, Bridging Pro-

foreign enjoyment.

gram Specialist at English Language School (ELS); Ms. Danielle Griffin, 3rd year student in Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology and Summer Student assistant in 2015; Mr. Justis Allard, 5th year student in Bachelor of Science in Environmental & Conservation Sciences and Summer Student Assistant (2013 – 2015); and me, Mr. Mark Bell, English Language School Program Coordinator (Seminars & Events).

Our trip was held from Monday, February 8 to Friday, February 12, 2016 and consisted of three full days of activities, tours, and meetings in the city of Niigata as well as other locations in the beautiful eastern Prefecture of Niigata.

We then traveled to Nagaoka city and enjoyed a wonderful 3D display of the famous fireworks display near City Hall. This fireworks display is held in the city every August on the banks of the Shinano River and is attended by thousands of onlookers annually. We then enjoyed an absolutely delicious traditional lunch at a nearby restaurant called Sichifuku.

The next morning, the tour took us high into the mountains to Tokamachi City- home of the largest annual snow fall in Japan- well over 10 meters each year! This city is also home to the Tokamachi City Museum, which houses the oldest national treasure in all of Japan: the famous Jomon Fire pottery. In fact, this ancient vessel will be the

Our guide, Dr. Fujita, met us at our hotel early Monday

inspiration behind the Olympic torch for the Tokyo Olym-

morning. We started our tour with a visit to the oldest

pics in 2020.

Sake brewery in the prefecture of Yoshi No Gawa Sake located in Minami-Uonuma city. The tour allowed us to

Word TravELS | 8

We were then off to the Sanjo Blacksmith Dojo and the Seisakusuo (Factory) where we had the opportunity to

make our own letter openers under the guidance of the

the Niigata Nippo Media Ship, one of the tallest and most

skilled metal workers of the area. This area is famous for

beautiful buildings in the city and home to the prefec-

their metal works and Traditional metallurgy technics.

tures most renowned newspapers as well as several art

On Wednesday we had yet another opportunity to enjoy some of the local specialties of the area over lunch at a delightful restaurant called “Meiwa Sunpia�. It was conveniently located near the NUIS campus and shortly af-

and print galleries. On the observation deck, we enjoyed a commanding 360 degree view of the city, Sea of Japan, surrounding mountains, and of Sato Island. It was incredible!

terwards we made way there to meet NUIS President

We visited two other very impressive buildings that after-

Hirayama and his wonderful staff. While we were there,

noon, though much older: Old Kyu Ozawa-ke House, and

our group had an opportunity to present to future ELCS

the magnificent Northern Cultural Museum, which is ac-

students as well as hear them introduce local Niigata cul-

tually one of the largest estates in all of Japan. This mu-

tural highlights. It was a very impressive presentation as

seum is a very beautiful example of traditional Japanese

the students presented completely in English!

architecture and plays host to many visiting dignitaries,

That evening, the staff and students of NUIS played host

including the Emperor of Japan.

to an entertaining reception at the Hotel REI. The event

We then went to visit Lake Hyoko, which is an important

included delicious food, beverages, words from NUIS stu-

resting place for migrating birds, including the majestic

dents and staff, and my favorite: student led games in-

Siberian Swan. It was a great way to spend the early after-

volving English language skills and cross cultural commi-

noon with our gracious hosts and many local Japanese

nation.

bird watching enthusiasts.

Dr. Chikayama met our group on Thursday morning for

A big thank you to NUIS for their generous invitation and

our final tour day in Niigata city. He accompanied us to

hosting. What a fantastic experience!

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@ualber Instag

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rtaels on gram

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APPEMI Summer

ELS Events

Symposium 2016

By Dr. Pam Young, Academic Team Lead (APPEMI)

“Say What?”: Another Noon-Hour Seminar

“

Hi. I’m interested in coming to the U of A to take the APPEMI program, but I’m the only one from my uni-

versity who can attend. Can I still take the program?”

“Our university would like to send 4 professors to take APPEMI. But the profs can only be out of the country for a week. What courses could you offer them?

The APPEMI office often receives these types of e-mail inquiries. In the past, we have offered some shorter, customized versions of the program to small groups of international professors. But, primarily, APPEMI has been designed to address the needs of larger professorial cohorts, whose universities support their participation in the full program, which takes a minimum of one month to complete.

This summer, though, all that will change, as APPEMI gears up to offer its inaugural Summer Symposium. Professors will be invited to UAlberta between July 25 and 29, 2016, for a few APPEMI appetizers, a week-long sampling of some of the program’s most popular modules.

A

s a response to campus demand, the second installation of “Say What?” ran on February 3, and was

another huge success! Assistant Professor Dr. Jennifer Foote had a full house for the noon-hour seminar.

Around 85 participants gathered in ECHA on North Campus as Dr. Foote discussed pronunciation techniques.

ELS will offer more workshops in the future, so stay tuned.

ELS Valentine’s Day Party

They will also have the opportunity to network with international colleagues, make presentations, and experience the best of Edmonton’s summer activities.

Watch for more information about the APPEMI Summer Symposium in future newsletters.

APPEMI stands for Advanced Professional Program in English-medium Instruction.

Thank you to all those who attended ELS’ love-ly Valentine’s Day party! Student volunteers lined the tables with homemade cookies and cupcakes and ran games for all to enjoy.

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Final Words ELS Staff Q & A

W

Upcoming Events

e interviewed one English Language School staff member. Based on their responses, who do you

March 2: Placement Test

think this is? *The answer is at the bottom of this page.

March 7: First day of EAP and IDP classes

Q: What is your favourite place that you have visited?

March 13: Daylight Savings Time begins - turn your clocks

A: Thailand

one hour forward

Q: What is your favourite food?

March 14, 15: First day of part-time classes

A: Chocolate March 17: St. Patrick’s Day

Q: What is the last book that you read?

A: Inside the Desert Kingdom—The Saudis

March 20: International Day of Happiness

Q: What was your favourite subject in school?

March 25: Good Friday

A: History/Political Science/Social Studies Q: What is your favourite pastime?

March 28: Easter Monday

A: Listening to music Q: If you could go back to any historical time, when would it be?

A: Anytime before recorded history

April 5-9: Bonfire Festival - Join the Rapid Fire Theatre in this five-day improve comedy festival.

April 25: Last day of EAP and IDP classes

Q: If you were a superhero, what power would you have?

A: I would be telekinetic—or the Last Avatar.

April 26, 27: Last day of part-time classes

Q: Tea or coffee?

A: Coffee every day

Top Ten... ...Iconic Monkeys 10. Curious Geroge 9. Bubbles the Chimp 8. That creepy monkey that sat on David Schwimmer’s shoulder in the hit 90’s sitcom “Friends” 7. Davy Jones 6. Sock Monkey

H

ave something to share? Please contact Tracey Hilden at ESQ

social media. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

We are always looking for contribu-

using the handle ualbertaels. It’s a

tions, whether you have a piece of

great way to stay up-to-date with

writing, artwork, poetry, or photog-

events and announcements from

raphy. Contact us!

the English Language School. facebook.com/UAlbertaELS/

4. Dr. Zaius

*Answer: James-Dean Sauter is this

3. Albert II

issue’s Q&A staff member.

1. Those scary Flying Monkeys from the Wizard of Oz!

English Language School on

Room 1-004 or hilden@ualberta ca.

5. Mr. Teeny

2. Grape Ape

S

tay connected! Follow the

twitter.com/UAlbertaELS instagram.com/ualbertaels/

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