Jack's lab

The English Language Institute has a new resource for students. You can't find it advertised in any brochure or website, but most students discover it within the first couple of days of class.

"It's top secret and very important for us," said Lin Ching Nieh of Taiwan, laughing.

Nieh was referring to Jack Chen, the new coordinator of the Self Access Learning Center, who joined the ELI staff after a stint with the Peace Corps in Micronesia. A '96 UD graduate in English, Chen has lent such a personal touch to the Rodney Hall facility that students have begun calling the computing site "Jack's Lab."

Jack Chen (right) helps a student in the Self Access Learning Center

On a Wednesday afternoon in July, Chen greets each student by name as they enter the classroom. Within minutes of opening, the nine computers are occupied as students log on to the Internet or work on essays for class. At two of the TV/VCR stations, students use closed captions to watch "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Father of the Bride." Another student borrows a tapedeck to listen to a recording for class, and a half dozen more occupy the center table, doing homework.

Chen, who plans to get a Master's in Teaching English as a Second Language, mans the site six hours a day, five days a week. His experience running a computer lab on the island of Pohnpei helps him with the technology, he said, but it's his love of teaching that connects him with the students.

"It's the one-on-one contact that I enjoy the most," he said.

On the bulletin boards Chen has posted some tips on writing compositions. He works with students on pronunciation and fine points of grammar. But, most of all, he empathizes.

"I know what it's like to be a foreigner," he said, "and when there's a native who's more patient and talks slower."

Chen also respects the struggle many students face in their lives back home, which motivates them to study English at ELI. "It brings an intensity to the table," he said.

The admiration seems mutual. "Jack is very friendly and helpful," said Rodrigo Moraes of Brazil. "He's the best."