TRUESL Today!
Summer 2017. Published by the Global Ambassadors.
In This Issue
What's New: The Global Ambassadors of EMU
Semester in Review: Fun ESL Events
In the Classroom: Speaking and Listening - A Service-Learning Project
International Student Perspective: Life as an EMU Student
EMU Resource Spotlight: The International Student Resource Center
#YouAreWelcomeHere
ESL Student Success Stories
What's New: The Global Ambassadors of EMU
By Selamawit Berhe
The EMU Global Ambassadors are a team of international students working in the ESL Program. The team launched during the Winter 2017 semester and consists of students from various countries who are attending or previously attended the ESL program. All the Global Ambassadors are current EMU students in a variety of programs at Eastern Michigan University. The creation of the Global Ambassador team has expanded campus employment opportunities for international students.
The team currently has six members from China, Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan. The team members share and learn about each cultural and social similarities and differences with each other. They also share and discuss their academic experiences with one another to have a better understanding of their personal perspectives and experiences in order to be able to provide accurate and helpful information for all international students. The team members come together and create resources for existing and upcoming international students. In all team projects, the Global Ambassadors strive to include cultural, academic and social information about studying in the U.S as an international student. These resources represent a collective team perspective based on the perspectives of each team member from their experiences as an international student at Eastern Michigan University.
The team has created various informational resources such as a student experience website, a welcome handbook, and informational and fun videos. The student experience website provides a look at what life is like as an ESL student at EMU. It includes information such as ESL students success stories, useful links for international students, information about upcoming events, and student pictures and videos from EMU events. The welcome handbook includes important information about the visa process, student housing, weather and transportation information, and information about Ypsilanti. The team also translates various resources into different languages for international students.
As the member of the Global Ambassador team, I have had an amazing chance to meet remarkable students from different walks of life. I've also had the chance to work with teammates from different countries and cultures. This has given me the chance to learn about different cultures as well as share my culture with my fellow teammates. I have learned so much from my teammates and hope to continue learning from them in a very fun, caring, supportive and happy environment.
The Global ambassadors are always eager to provide you any assistance with any questions, concerns and information regarding the ESL Program and EMU. Please feel free to contact us at esl@emich.edu.
Semester in Review: Fun ESL Events
By Mohammed Alyami
Each semester, the ESL Program hosts a lot of events that create an environment for students to use their language skills outside of the classroom. This past winter term was no exception. For instance, this semester the ESL Program offered the Valentine's Day (Gifts of Appreciation) event, the Campus Video Contest, and the ESL Student Symposium.
Valentine's Day (Gifts of Appreciation)
In the Valentines Day event, students were able to create different kinds of gifts for their loved ones. Different items were also provided for decorating the gifts. Students had a chance to discuss ways of showing appreciation in different cultures.
Campus Video Contest
In the Campus Video Contest, students formed groups and created videos about a "secret" topic. Students had only 2 hours and their cell phones to create a winning video! After students created their videos, the audience and judges panel had the chance to watch the videos at the viewing party. This event gave students to practice their speaking skills in a really fun and different way.
ESL Student Symposium
At the ESL student symposium, students had the opportunity to demonstrate their academic achievements throughout the semester. Achievement awards were given to students who achieved excellence in three categories.
In the Classroom: Speaking and Listening - A Service-Learning Project
By Mohammed Alyami and Zainab Almusalim
In the ESLN 046/416 Speaking/listening class, students had the opportunity to do a service learning project in St. Joseph's village, a senior living home associated with St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital.
Our experience with St. Joseph's village was an invaluable chance because it gave us the opportunity to interact with people who have enough life experience to give us advice. Our class went there as a group in order to give presentations about our countries, and to learn how to interact with unfamiliar community members. We were divided into different groups to sit and converse with the seniors.
Don, one of the seniors, is recognized by his sense of humor. He raised a family that consists of one daughter and one son. He told us how much he loves his daughter in a way that he can't even say "NO" to her. Don, the soulful man, is a truck mechanic who lived in Arizona. He spent his favorite period of his life in Arizona. Don tends to enjoy outdoor activities such as hunting. However, he is against hunting animals that people cannot eat because it would be ending their lives for no reason.
We asked him about what he knows about Saudi Arabia so that we can answer his questions. Generally, he was interested in our presentation about our country. He was surprised about the number of female students in Saudi universities, because it is more than the number of males.
Anyone can notice that Dan is a good-natured person once he talks. Actually, we were lucky that Don gave us gifts to express his kindness. We felt speechless. As a result, we decided to express our feelings by giving him simple gifts to make sure that he will realize how much we respect his willingness.
In the last day before leaving St. Joseph's village, Mohammad asked Don to meet with him someday, so he gave Mohammad his number. It was really emotional to say goodbye to such kind and lovable people at St. Joseph’s Village.
Students at St. Joseph's village
Mohammed with Don
Zainab with Don
International Student Perspective: Life as an EMU Student
By Cong Li
Hello, I am Cong Li from China. Now I am a graduate student at Eastern. I have had a lot of fun living and studying at Eastern. When I first came to Eastern, I was deeply attracted by its beautiful scenery. It was more beautiful than what I had seen in the university websites. Blue sky, blue lake and green grass...I could not stop taking photos. I was also impressed by the enthusiasm of everyone on campus. They smiled at me and said “Hi” to me, which made me feel welcome.
Life here is amazing. There are a lot of activities on campus, which gives me a lot of fun. I like to participate in the activities organized by OISS (Office for International Student Students & Scholars) and ESL (English as a Second Language) program. They provide me with the opportunities to experience new things in the United States. Through these activities, I can not only know more about American culture, but also make friends with students from other countries. My professors and classmates here are all very nice. They would invite me to their homes and celebrate holidays with them. I ate turkey and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day and received lot of presents during Christmas. On weekends, my friends would take me to different restaurants to try different foods and have fun. The United States is a “melting pot”, so here I can get food from different countries.
It is OK for students to eat food during class. The professors here are very easy-going. Sometimes they would bring food to class. The classrooms here are very interactive. The professors encourage students to ask questions and express their own opinions in class. If I have any questions after class, I can make an appointment with the professors and then talk with them during their office hours. In addition, if I want to improve my English, I can go to the ISRC (International Student Resource Center) and make an appointment with the staff there. The Halle library usually opens until 12 o’clock. During the final weeks, it would open 24 hours. So it is very convenient for me to study and search information there.
Eastern has provided me with a comfortable living and studying environment, which made me adapt to a new culture very easily. I really enjoy the life here.
EMU Resource Spotlight: The International Student Resource Center
About the ISRC
The mission of the International Student Resource Center (ISRC) is to advance the English language skills of non-native English-speaking students and to bridge academic and cultural gaps in their knowledge of language usage through exceptional one-on-one instruction and specialized workshops, so that international students may successfully and confidently complete academic assignments in EMU classes.
Tutoring
The ISRC offers free tutoring to help international EMU students who need assistance with the English language for academic assignments. They can help with essays, reading and comprehension, listening and note-taking, improvement of grammatical accuracy, research papers, study skills, conversation and more.
Appointments are available during their regular business hours, and sometimes drop-in appointments may be available.
Events and Workshops
The ISRC offers a variety of workshops and events each semester, including conversation clubs and holiday celebrations. Other workshops and events focus on academic help with subjects such as reading, writing and grammar.
#YouAreWelcomeHere
By Mohammed Alyami
Eastern Michigan University has more than 800 international students from 80 different countries. The university wants students to know they are welcome at EMU and has joined the official #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign. EMU provides numerous resources that help international students to have a great experience. Moreover, the university offers several programs that helps students to achieve their career goals.
On EMU's official You Are Welcome Here website, President James Smith shares his experience with EMU's international students. “Time and time again, as I meet with international students, they share their views about the strong support they receive from the University and our faculty,” EMU President James Smith said. “They also reiterate the positive environment and the University’s proximity to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, a major international airport. The ease of travel and the welcoming campus make us ideally suited to attract even more international students and scholars in the year’s ahead.”
There are diverse resources at EMU's campus for international students. One of them is the Office for International Students and Scholars. The Office for International Students and Scholars provides a lot of services that can support any international student. For example, they have a new student checklist, orientation, seminars, and international advising.
EMU has a great quality of programs. One of them is The Clinical Research Administration graduate program. The Clinical Research Administration graduate program has been ranked as number one in the United States. It was one of the first academic programs approved in this discipline.
EMU is a good university that offers many programs, resources, and a diverse body of students. EMU welcomes all students who are looking for a great, supportive, welcoming environment.
ESL Student Success Stories
The ESL program at EMU is proud to highlight our fantastic students and their accomplishments. Get to know some of our great students by watching their student success story videos below.
About Us
Email: esl@emich.edu
Website: http://www.emich.edu/esl
Location: Ypsilanti, MI 48197, United States
Phone: (734) 487-0338
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/EMUESL/