word travels issue 04 - june 2016
DESCRIPTION
Official newsletter of the English Language School, University of AlbertaTRANSCRIPT
W o r d T r a v E L S |
June 2016
Professors from Shanghai completed their APPEMI studies at the English Language School, Faculty of Extension.
ELS Newsletter, Issue 04
ELS student Mwinja Habamungu Josue from Congo enjoying Alberta’s Badlands
W o r d T r a v E L S | 2
English Language School
Executive Director’s Message
June 2016
Dear readers:
When I look out my kitchen window and notice beautiful
flowers blooming in my garden, I know that summer has
finally arrived. Other sure signs of summer in Edmonton
include long, bright days, short pants, and the start up of
many wonderful summer festivals and activities.
I am happy to see that many of you are already enjoying
the pleasant weather and exciting opportunities summer
brings. For example, along with out regular features on ELS
student achievements and profiles, in this issue we are
pleased to provide words and images that recount last
month’s trip to Drumheller.
At the English Language School, summer is also a time
when we welcome Language and Culture groups from all
over Japan, Mexico, Colombia, and many other countries.
As you will see in this issue of Word TravELS, these students
have already begun to join us, and we are so very excited
to include them in our classes and introduce them to life in
Canada during the summer months.
Finally, for many of our students at the English Language
School, summer is also a time to relax, visit friends and
family, and prepare for the coming academic year. For
those who are planning to travel home, we wish you safe
travels and will see you soon.
Sincerely,
Mimi Hui
Executive Director,
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Contents
Language and
Cultural Seminar:
Welcoming our
international cohorts
ELS Student Corner:
EAP 550 student
Hamed Khojh
Drumheller:
Reflections on ELS’
trip to Drumheller
ELS Student Success:
Celebrating Mother’s
Day with Rehab Alhaj
Suliman
ELS Student Success:
Celebrating Father’s
Day with Jorge Daniel
Grock
Final Words:
Upcoming events,
Top Ten column, and
more
7
ELS Events:
Fort McMurray
Fundraiser and CSA
Workshop
@ualbertaels on
Instagram: a photo
montage of ELS
Language and Cultural Seminar
W o r d T r a v E L S | 3
ELS By The Numbers
Language and Cultural Seminar
D uring the summer months, the English Language
School welcomes student groups from around the
world. While we prepare for over twenty more groups to
arrive in Edmonton, we are pleased to welcome a cohort
from Universidad Central in Bogota, Colombia. The group
arrived on June 6 and will stay for 7 weeks.
English Language and Cultural Seminar (ELCS) students
participate in English classes as well as lectures or faculty
activities in their own subject area. In addition to studying
English in a university setting, students participate in vari-
ous cultural activities, such as visiting the Canadian Rock-
ies, Fort Edmonton Park (as seen below), and the Alberta
Legislature.
Welcome to our Colombian cohort, and we’re looking
forward to seeing the rest of the cohorts from Japan, El
Salvador, and Mexico here in Edmonton soon.
ELS’ cohort from Colombia goes back in time at Fort Edmon-
ton Park, visiting a classroom from 1905.
W o r d T r a v E L S | 4
Engagement English for Community
By Hamed Khojh
O ne of the most important languages around the
world is the English language. For me, learning
English at the University of Alberta was a life-changing
decision, and it has opened my eyes to a new world.
Increasing my knowledge is my priority, and I started this
journey by learning English. Though I am only beginning
to better my English language skills, I have already
noticed improvements: I used to have difficulty with
presenting in English, and now when I look back, I can
see that I learned a lot of new skills and developed my
ability to present any subject in an academic way, which
is not something you can learn from a book. When you
are thinking about getting a job in your field, you need
the skills for that position, and one of these skills is the
ability to communicate. This is what learning English
does: it puts you on the correct path by increasing the
number of people you can communicate with.
I took the first step in my career by developing my
English, as I already had a part-time job in writing for an
online newspaper, translating global news from English to
Arabic. This job taught me a lot about different kinds of
writing styles and how it changes according to the reader.
By learning English, I have the chance to learn what is
important for both the Western and Middle Eastern
reader. This skill helped me when I wrote about the
recent fire in Fort McMurray. I was asked to translate the
news into the Arabic language, and therefore I had to
choose the most interesting and important information
for the Arabic reader from the large volume of news
about the fire.
Moreover, I am now preparing myself to pursue a
Master’s degree in management by taking the EAP 550
(Preparation for Graduate Studies) course. I am truly
surprised by the amount of data I can access through the
university library – there are literally thousands of books,
online articles, and more. I can search and find any article
about new technologies and keep track of the latest
studies in my field through the UAlberta libraries. Also,
while learning English increases my career potential, it
also gives me the chance to learn about the customs and
traditions of the nations which speak English, and in par-
ticular, the North American society.
Personally, the English language introduced me to one of
the most significant experiences in my life. Many Syrian
refugees recently arrived in Canada, and I had the chance
to be part of this great community helping these people.
I volunteered to teach some refugees basic computer
skills, and I know that helping them to learn English is
necessary because their future in Canada depends on
how quickly they learn the language. I had the chance to
tell them about my experience here and how, though it
can be hard at first, it will get easier. There will be mo-
ments in the person’s life when they look back and think
about the most exciting and useful experiences in their
life. For me, my first day at the University of Alberta is one
of these moments I will never forget – how much I
learned here not only about different sciences, but also
about life, friendship, and humanity.
ELS Student Corner
Hamed Khojh is an EAP 550 student from Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia. He is aiming to further his education in a Master’s
program at the University of Alberta.
W o r d T r a v E L S | 5
ELS Student Achievements
Mother’s Day as an ELS Student
By Tracey Hilden, Social Media Coordinator, ELS
F or the past 8 years, Rehab Alhaj-Suliman had her
hopes set on studying in Canada. Originally from
Miscurata, Libya, Rehab completed her undergraduate
degree in Libya in Medicine and Surgery, and received a
scholarship in 2008 to study abroad as one of the top ten
students in her field of study. While many Libyan students
who receive this scholarship often choose to study in the
UK or Germany, Rehab put her scholarship on hold until
she was able to study in Canada. “It was a dream to come
to Canada,” Rehab says. “Here there is freedom, a good
quality of life, and of course, Niagara Falls!”
Mother’s Day is celebrated in Libya on March 21 with
similar traditions to Mother’s Day here in Canada, which
we celebrated on May 8. “There are children’s parties
where they dress up in costumes in Libya,” Rehab ex-
plains. “This year Sanaz celebrated Mother’s Day at
school here and made crafts and small gifts.”
Rehab just completed Preparation for Graduate Studies
(EAP 550) and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Med-
ical Science at the University of Alberta. Rehab’s husband
Mustafa works in Edmonton as a physician, and they have
two children: Sanad, 5, and Jad, 2. Rehab faced many dif-
ficulties in balancing her duties as both a mother and a
student. “I could only study at night, after the kids were
asleep. I would usually start studying around 10 pm, and
finish around 2 or 3 am. EAP 550 is very challenging,” Re-
hab says. “But my husband was my biggest source of en-
couragement. He always encouraged me to continue with
what I had started.” Rehab emphasizes how she wouldn’t
have been able to balance her tasks had it not been for
her husband’s support.
When Rehab initially came to Canada, she had to delay
her English studies due to her son’s health. Faced with
the challenge of not having family support, Rehab under-
took her studies again when her son was well enough to
go to daycare. Rehab’s instructor Yvonne Breckenridge
commented, “Rehab is a hardworking student that man-
ages to keep on top of her studies as well as care for her
family. As a working mother, I appreciate how difficult it
is to find a work life balance. Even when her son was ill
she came to class, with her assignments completed so
she could quickly get feedback and return to her family.”
Rehab’s children play a significant role in her decision to
pursue her academic studies. Her son fell ill often, and
this presented a challenge as he has to be in daycare
where infections are
common. As a re-
sult, they have
worked with various
physicians, allergy
specialists, and res-
piratory specialists,
to try to try to alle-
viate his condi-
tion. She is opti-
mistic about advancements in this area. During her EAP
550 final project, Rehab researched and presented on
how Vitamin D has a substantial impact on the immune
system and can yield positive results. This project and
research remains very close to her heart. “Rehab's passion
and work ethic shone through during class,” Yvonne says.
“It was rewarding to see her improvement throughout the
term. She ended the term with a memorable poster
presentation that highlighted her confidence and com-
munication skills.” Rehab says with a smile, “It is difficult
being a mother while studying, but it is definitely possi-
ble!”
Rehab with her husband, Mustafa, and children, Sanad (5) and Jad (2)
W o r d T r a v E L S | 6
Father’s Day as an ELS Student
By Tracey Hilden, Social Media Coordinator, ELS
F ather’s Day in Bolivia is celebrated on March 19 an-
nually. Similar to Canada, this day recognizes the
contribution of fathers and is celebrated by giving small
gifts and cake. Jorge Daniel Grock Pereira, from Sucre,
Bolivia, is accustomed to these traditions, and celebrated
his first Father’s Day in Canada this year. Jorge’s first lan-
guage is Spanish, but he also studied German and French
in Bolivia before coming to the University of Alberta.
Now pursuing his Master’s degree in Land Reclamation
and Remediation in the Faculty of ALES, Jorge moved to
Edmonton with his wife, Paola, and son, German, in Sep-
tember 2015.
Studying under a scholarship from the Ministry of Educa-
tion, Jorge took part in a new initiative through the Bolivi-
an government to send 100 graduate students worldwide
to the top 100 universities. Jorge came to the University
of Alberta as part of the first 100 students. The goal of
this program is to send graduate students abroad to re-
ceive further education, and then later return back to Bo-
livia with newly acquired skills for advancement in natural
resources.
Jorge completed his English training with ELS in Decem-
ber 2015, taking both Writing for Academic Purposes and
Preparing for Graduate Studies (EAP 550). “Jorge is a con-
scientious, hard-working student. He puts his best in the
completion of class work and home assignments. His
submitted work is always of good quality, which is cer-
tainly proof of the serious commitment he has to his own
learning,” EAP 550 instructor Laura Oliveras says about
Jorge. “Jorge is a very dedicated student. He was very
involved in my class - asking questions, voicing his opin-
ion and leading discussion groups. His pleasant personal-
ity made it easy for everyone to get along well with him,”
Writing for Academic Purposes instructor Reggie Stefan-
iszyn adds.
Jorge’s decision to pursue his academic studies came
partly from the desire to provide the best life for his fami-
ly. “Being a parent motivates you to try harder, coupled
with a natural instinct as a parent to want to be the best
provider for your family.” Jorge mentions how, as a grad-
uate student, he has a limited amount of free time. “If
you take away from family time in one respect, you have
to make it up in another respect. Being a student and
father are both priorities for me, and therefore I cannot
sacrifice one entirely for the other. To achieve my goals, it
requires that my wife and I are flexible and supportive of
one another.”
Raising children in Canada is different from what Jorge is
used to in Bolivia. Parents face different challenges, but
Jorge and his wife have found ways to overcome these
obstacles. “It can be difficult being both an international
student and parent, studying away from family, friends
and our support system. Having family in close proximity
adds wealth to the child’s experience and relationships.
We do our best to form support groups with those
around us in Edmonton, as well as remain in contact with
family back home. “
Jorge’s English language training extends to his son as
well. “Prior to arriving, we felt it was important to expose
our son to the English language. We were planning on
moving here, so we felt we should help prepare him. At 6
Jorge and his son, German (6)
W o r d T r a v E L S | 7
years old, he is absorbing English incredibly fast as he is
exposed to English television, movies, and books at
home.” The Grock family speaks Spanish at home so Ger-
man retains his native language, but Jorge jokes that,
“there is a competition at home between German and
Daddy to see who speaks better English.”
Reflecting on raising children while studying, Jorge says,
“You can’t use your child as an excuse to not do anything:
it’s a motivation, and requires energy and time. You al-
ways want the best for your child, so you have to find a
balance. It’s really a blessing and a beautiful thing. If
you’re considering pursuing further education, do it now!
Postponing such a decision means you will only be older.
Yes, you will face obstacles, but through perseverance
and dedication, you will master these.”
ELS Events
Karaoke for Fort Mac, May 19, 2016
T hank you to the students and staff who came out to sup-
port our Fundraising Karaoke for Fort McMurray event
last month. From this event, we were able to raise $317.95 for
the Red Cross fire relief efforts.
Aside from our previously selected songs we chose in English,
students sang songs in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish.
It was a festive and merry event, and something we hope to
duplicate again in the future.
Workshop for CSA
U Alberta’s Chinese Students' Association (CSA) invit-
ed Assistant Professor Dr. Jennifer Foote to give a
workshop. Dr. Foote addressed ways for students to im-
prove their pronunciation, and especially pronunciation
practice techniques. The workshop was held in Tory on
Main Campus, and 42 people attended.
W o r d T r a v E L S | 8
@ualbertaels on
W o r d T r a v E L S | 9
@ualbertaels on
W o r d T r a v E L S | 10
Drumheller Trip
Horsethief Canyon
By James-Dean Sauter, Program Coordinator Sponsored
Students
O n Friday, April 29 2016, approximately 50 students
and staff from the English Language School arrived
bright and early at Enterprise Square and set out for the
Royal Tyrrell Museum.
Upon arriving at the Museum, we embarked on our tour
of the historic and highly interactive world famous dino-
saur museum. Students were fascinated and amazed with
the all the museum had to offer; it was like no other mu-
seum experience they had before. We learned about var-
ious dinosaurs and the time periods in which they
roamed the earth. We saw plenty of dinosaurs of both
mammoth and minuscule portions—those who lived in
sea, those who took flight, and even those dinosaurs that
lived not far from where we are today!
After this adventure, we took a short lunch break and set
out for Horsethief Canyon. Horsethief Canyon is a sight-
seeing and hiking landmark located just west of Drumhel-
ler, and is well-known as the site of over 35 dino-
saur fossil discoveries—some dating back to nearly 70
million years ago!
The Canadian badlands boast a unique landscape formed
from sea deposits. It was sculpted through centuries of
glaciation and erosion, creating a landscape of coulees,
hoodoos and river valleys. Horsethief Canyon offers a
panoramic view of the badlands, with plenty of hiking,
climbing, and sightseeing for the adventurist.
Students were amused to learn the legend of how
Horsethief Canyon got its name: Horsethief Canyon used
to house thousands of free roaming horses who were
owned by individual ranchers. It was reported during this
time that many of the roaming horses would leave the
Canyon bearing a different rancher’s branding mark, and
thus the name Horsethief Canyon came about.
Hiking and climbing through the badlands is physically
challenging and demanding, but the sense of accom-
plishment seen on the students’ faces makes it all the
worthwhile.
W o r d T r a v E L S | 11
Upcoming Events
June 21 - July 17: Freewill Shakespeare Festival
June 23 - July 5: The Works Art & Design Festival
June 24 - July 3: Edmonton International Jazz Festival
July 5: First day of IDP classes
July 7: First day of EAP classes
July 8 - 17: International Street Performers Festival
July 21 - 30: Taste of Edmonton
July 22 - 31: K-Days
July 30 - August 1: Heritage Festival
August 4 - 7: Edmonton Folk Fest
August 11 - 21: Edmonton Fringe Festival
August 17: ELCS Faculty Social
August 19 - 21: Dragon Boat Festival
August 24: Last day of IDP classes
August 25: Last day of EAP classes
Final Words
H ave something to share? Please contact Tracey Hil-
den at ESQ Room 1-004 or hilden@ualberta ca. We
are always looking for contributions, whether you have a
piece of writing, artwork, poetry, or photography. Contact
us!
S tay connected! Follow the English Language School
on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Twit-
ter, and Instagram using the handle ualbertaels. It’s a
great way to stay up-to-date with events and announce-
ments from the English Language School.
ELS Staff Q & A
W e interviewed one English Language School staff
member. Based on their responses, who do you
think this is? *The answer is on the right of this page.
Q: What is your favourite place that you have visited?
A: The Great Wall of China
Q: What is your favourite food?
A: Chicken wings
Q: What is the last book that you read?
A: Create Your Best Work and Live the Life You Imagine
Q: What was your favourite subject in school?
A: Drawing, Management Science and Management In-
formation System
Q: What is your favourite pastime?
A: Reading ebooks
Q: If you could go back to any historical time, when would
it be?
A: Around 220 CE. It's the very end of Han Dynasty of
China where the famous Three kingdoms period started.
Q: If you were a superhero, what power would you have?
A: The power of Monkey King
Q: Tea or coffee?
A: Fusion
Top Ten...
...signs of summer in YEG:
10. Festivals every week
9. The smell of BBQs and cut grass on every block
8. Flip-flops thwacking en masse
7. Cold climates are now found indoors
6. Bug spray is the new Chanel No 5
5. Brain Freeze epidemic reaches seasonal high
4. Moisturizer is traded for sunscreen
3. Every field has a sports event every night
2. Children braving outdoor pools at all hours
1. Evening thunderstorms
*Answer: Dapeng Li is this issue’s Q&A staff member.
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