2008 Woodie Awards
Newly Developed Intensive English Program Teaches Skills, Embraces 'Cultural Interaction'
Dan Warn
Issue date:
1/16/08
Section:
Features
Several international students have joined Olympic College's new Intensive English Program this quarter, a course designed to equip international students with the tools to use English language skills at the college level.
"The program offers students the opportunity to earn 12 credits per quarter and features instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing," Dr. Edward Palm, dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, said in an email. Palm also said that the students would do "laboratory exercises in listening, speaking and cultural interaction."
The primary instructors for the program are adjunct faculty members Lori Vail and Linda Hagan. In addition, Dr. Eunha Jung is the program's director.
The countries currently represented in the program are Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and China. They all have come together with one common goal: education.
Some of the students want to study international business, while others are interested in things like animal study, graphic design and psychology.
"They all have their own specific career paths in mind," Hagan said. "Each of these kids have something great to offer."
The students said that coming to America, with its different culture and language was extremely hard. Some, like Son Kyungjin have been in the states for months and are more accustomed to the area than those who have just arrived.
Even now, after months in the United States, Kyungjin said that everywhere she goes she learns something new about English. Kyungjin added that going to the movies, with all of the dialogue, is a very educational experience.
Jung said the curriculum introduces a thing called conversation partners. What that means is each international student will have a native English-speaking student to spend one-on-one time with. The conversation partners will spend a lot of time together talking and developing strengths in all skill levels.
"Our overall philosophy is to embrace the international students into our fold," said Jung.
"By doing that, OC students will be exposed to international students and that is what we want."
"The program offers students the opportunity to earn 12 credits per quarter and features instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing," Dr. Edward Palm, dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, said in an email. Palm also said that the students would do "laboratory exercises in listening, speaking and cultural interaction."
The primary instructors for the program are adjunct faculty members Lori Vail and Linda Hagan. In addition, Dr. Eunha Jung is the program's director.
The countries currently represented in the program are Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and China. They all have come together with one common goal: education.
Some of the students want to study international business, while others are interested in things like animal study, graphic design and psychology.
"They all have their own specific career paths in mind," Hagan said. "Each of these kids have something great to offer."
The students said that coming to America, with its different culture and language was extremely hard. Some, like Son Kyungjin have been in the states for months and are more accustomed to the area than those who have just arrived.
Even now, after months in the United States, Kyungjin said that everywhere she goes she learns something new about English. Kyungjin added that going to the movies, with all of the dialogue, is a very educational experience.
Jung said the curriculum introduces a thing called conversation partners. What that means is each international student will have a native English-speaking student to spend one-on-one time with. The conversation partners will spend a lot of time together talking and developing strengths in all skill levels.
"Our overall philosophy is to embrace the international students into our fold," said Jung.
"By doing that, OC students will be exposed to international students and that is what we want."
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