Special Programs

In 2006, the English Language Institute welcomed several groups of students, teachers and professionals –– from Colombia, Egypt, Japan, Jordan, Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Syria.

Colfuturo
Through the auspices of the Fundación Para el Futuro de Colombia (Colfuturo), 19 Colombian professionals studied at ELI for various lengths of time throughout the year. This is the eleventh consecutive year that the foundation has sent Colombian nationals to the Institute.

Teachers from Incheon, South Korea

	Teachers from Incheon City, South Korea, explored the historic Philadelphia in January.

From January 9 to February 4, ELI hosted 20 teachers from the Incheon City Office of Education Teacher Training Program. This was the fifth group of dedicated elementary, middle and high school English teachers to come to ELI from Incheon. During their four-week program, they attended ELI listening/ speaking classes as daily participants and observers, peppered their American culture and pedagogy teachers with questions and completed 11 teacher training workshops with experienced ELI faculty. They also visited two local schools and a number of cities, including Boston, in a cultural program organized by academic coordinator Kathy Hankins.

Teachers from Gyeonnggi-Do celebrate their graduation.

Teachers from Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Two groups of middle and high school teachers from Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, came to ELI for language, culture and pedagogy training in 2006. The first group of 24 teachers, accompanied by supervisor Bok Soon Noh, arrived at JFK Airport on January 8 for a four-week program coordinated by Baerbel Schumacher. This was the first time the English Language Institute welcomed a group from Gyeonggi-do. The group not only enjoyed the hospitality of their American host families, but also took to exploring as much of the United States “as seemed humanly possible,” said Schumacher.

The second group of 21 educators landed at Dulles Airport on July 24 to begin their program coordinated by Nonie Bell. Participants in both groups enthusiastically joined in regular listening/speaking classes and culture classes in the morning, while their afternoons were filled with workshops on a variety of topics related to language teaching. In addition to school visits and trips to nearby cities and cultural centers, highlights for the summer group included meeting with Egyptian and Moroccan EFL teachers.

Hiroshima Institute of Technology

	Hiroshima Institute of Technology students in March

The Hiroshima Institute of Technology again sent their finest and brightest students to the ELI this past winter. Group representative Shingo Kimura and 13 other students came to study from February 27 to March 17. The students had a full schedule of classes and tutoring plus trips to nearby cities. Academic coordinator Kathy Hankins claims she couldn’t keep up with the energy of these young men and women. Next time, please stay longer!

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
For the 16th year, ELI provided English enrichment to students from Hankuk University for Foreign Studies (HUFS) in Seoul, Korea, during their vacation periods. A group of 20 students, escorted by Mr. Young-Ho Chung, integrated into the intensive English program during the January/February session, while 19 students joined ELI classes for the July/August session. Although English majors predominated, students from quite a number of other disciplines also took advantage of the program, including five other languages as well as international trade and business management. Their academic program was supplemented with cultural excursions organized by academic coordinators Kathy Hankins and Sarah Petersen. Sung Yun Min, a summer participant, said, “This experience changed my point of view about America. If there’s another chance to take this program, I’ll certainly come back.” The Hankuk/ELI program was first proposed by Dr. Byong Mon Ahn, who recently retired as president of HUFS and spent fall 2006 as a distinguished visiting scholar at UD.

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

Teachers from the Seoul Metropolitan area wearing traditional "Hanbok."

Following in the footsteps of the exemplary trainees that ELI faculty members worked with in January at the Hyundai Training Center in Seoul, South Korea, [see the feature story on page 2] a second group of EFL teachers sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education arrived in Newark in May 2006 for a four-week training program. The 16 participants, who teach at all grade levels in the Seoul area, not only attended English language classes and special culture and methodology workshops and seminars, but also made many friends throughout Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, through the homestay program and visits to local schools. True to their spirit as instructors, the participants shared a sampling of Korean language and culture with the classes they visited, giving presentations in crafts, songs and traditions of their country, all received with great enthusiasm and appreciation by the American students.

	Kobe Shoin University students met "Ben Franklin" in Philadelphia in August.

Kobe Shoin Women’s University
In July, continuing a 16-year tradition, 20 Kobe Shoin Women’s University students escorted by Professor Taisuke Nishigauchi and Shoin staff member Akiko Mori arrived in Newark for a one-month intensive English language and culture study program. Accompanied by academic coordinator Janet Louise, they learned first-hand the importance of the Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, marveled at the magnitude of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, and were thrilled by Broadway shows in New York City. Following their cultural study tour, the group entered ELI classes to enhance their English with students from around the world. While in Newark, they shared their own culture with youngsters in UD’s Early Learning Center and with seniors at the Newark Senior Center.

Teachers from Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Nineteen teachers and their supervisor Mr.Won-Jin Lee from Gyeongsangbuk province in South Korea arrived at ELI on July 24 for four weeks of English language development and teacher training. Their program included listening and speaking courses, workshops in the latest teaching methods, group reflections on American culture and pedagogy, visits to local schools and cultural excursions to neighboring states, organized by academic coordinator Sarah Petersen. Dr. Scott Stevens summed up the ELI’s admiration for the Gyeongsangbuk-do teachers, who, he said, “individually and collectively, impressed us with their dedication both to teaching and professional development.”

Teachers from Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea

A Newark Public Library director, Pat Birchenall (back, center) welcomed teachers from Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea, in August.

During the summer of 2006, ELI hosted the firstever group of teachers from the Chungcheongnamdo Office of Education for a four-week teacher training program. The 30 elementary school teachers attended ELI listening/speaking classes as well as workshops on pedagogy and culture. Accompanied by their academic coordinator, Jackie Sumner, the group also visited public and private elementary schools, comparing their own schools with those they saw here, and were fortunate to have a wonderful presentation and tour of the Newark Public Library, complete with a storytelling session. The teachers arranged their own trips to Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and New York on weekends, and enjoyed several evening activities with their host families, including home-cooked dinners, a trip to Longwood Gardens, and an outdoor concert in White Clay Creek State Park.

Seinan Gakuin University
For three weeks beginning August 28, a small typhoon breezed through the halls of ELI. Twenty-seven young women and one very lucky young man from Seinan Gakuin University in Fukuoka, Japan, made the most of a whirlwind tour of Delaware and environs while remaining diligent workers in their regular classes at ELI. In a cultural program organized by Dave Cassling and Joe Matterer, the students visited a very wet Washington, DC, and a gloriously sunny New York City and then paid a working visit to a local childcare center. Shopping became the focal point of other outings. “How everything got back to Japan is anyone’s guess,” said Cassling, adding that the humor, patience and charm of the group was appreciated by everyone.

In addition to this group, 11 students of law and international diplomacy from Seinan Gakuin University studied in early September in a special Law and Legal English program coordinated by Chris Wolfe, the ELI’s legal studies coordinator. The students took regular ELI classes in the mornings and had classes in law and legal English taught by Wolfe in the afternoons. They joined a university course in business law also taught by Wolfe. In addition, participants attended a criminal trial in the Delaware Superior Court and an appellate oral argument in the Delaware Supreme Court. In Washington, DC, they toured the U.S. Supreme Court, the White House and Smithsonian museums.

Teachers from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Syria
Forty-one teachers from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Syria attended workshops in language teaching pedagogy at ELI in July and August under a U.S. Department of State Partnership for Learning program. (See the feature story)

Teachers from Jordan and Syria

Teachers from Egypt and Morocco

Students from Saudi Arabia
Throughout the year, 52 students from Saudi Arabia participated in intensive English studies at ELI. Funded through the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education, these scholars plan on pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the United States in a wide variety of disciplines after completing their ELI courses.