TOWN OF SOMERS, Wis. (AP) - This Halloween, dressing up as a pumpkin was a first for Kinuka Kawamura.
Before coming to the U.S. three months ago, the 19-year-old from Mie, Japan, had never experienced Halloween, much less put on a costume for it, the Kenosha News (https://bit.ly/2hwrSf9 ) reported.
This fall, however, she and several other international students got a taste of this uniquely American holiday while attending English Language School on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
The language school is not part of the university’s academic curriculum but is a local part of an independent agency that has more than 60 language centers nationwide.
Since September, UW-Parkside has become a partner with ELS, offering it academic space in Tallent Hall and opportunities for its students to experience campus life and American culture while learning English.
The decision to invite ELS to the campus fit well with Parkside’s recent strategic plan to increase international student enrollment, according to DeAnn Possehl, Parkside executive director of persistence and completion.
“It’s about internationalizing the student experience,” she said.
Possehl and other Parkside administrators reached out to ELS staff who agreed that, by virtue of its proximity to Chicago and Milwaukee, Parkside’s campus was an ideal location for one of its learning centers.
Running year-round in four-week sessions, the program consists of 12 levels of language attainment, with components including grammar and vocabulary, essay writing, and conversational English. Each student is tested and placed according to current levels, then moves through the ranks to program completion.
The emphasis on academic language proficiency sets ELS apart from other English language courses, notes Osa Relacion, center director for Parkside’s ELS.
“Our students are required to write a research paper in English (with) citations and formatting,” Relacion said. “Many have never even written in their first language.”
Parkside’s ELS started with 13 students and has grown to 17 students from Russia, China, Gabon and Japan.
Most of the students are bound for U.S. universities, Relacion said. “Many students apply but don’t have English skills; they have the transcripts but not (language) skill levels.”
Those who want to attend a U.S. university get a letter of acceptance conditional upon completion of the ELS program. Others may plan to return to their home countries for university.
ELS student Qixuan Du, 18, from eastern China, is currently enrolled to attend Carthage College next fall, pending the completion of the ELS program next spring. “(ELS) is useful for getting into an American college to study here,” he said.
“It’s not just about great test-taking but students can fully function in the classroom,” Relacion said. “We are all about the communicative style of language learning … what they can apply in the real world.”
To get the full experience, ELS students get extensive contact with Americans both during and after class. They are also paired with conversation partners, Parkside students who volunteer their time to socialize with them.
“It’s important for the student to get out into the community to hear the accent and tone of the language,” Relacion said.
Becoming a conversation partner for ELS students was a snap for Alaina Perez-Kucza, 22, from Racine. Because the business management senior had just spent a year studying in Japan, she says she was excited when she learned that Japanese students would be part of the new program.
Perez-Kucza’s official partner is Yuki Nobuchika, 19, from Hiroshima, Japan, but she says she enjoys hanging out with all of the Japanese students.
Since the beginning of September, Perez-Kucza has led off-campus excursions to the Gurnee Mills mall and grocery stores for fun and for her fellow students to practice their language skills.
Parkside student Yer Vang from Milwaukee wanted to get involved with ELS after studying abroad last spring in Korea. A first-generation American from Laotian parents, Vang, 22, is a senior majoring in communication.
Partnered with Kawamura, Vang introduced her to the finer points of Halloween while pumpkin carving. She has also taken Kawamura to watch movies at her off-campus apartment.
“Being a conversation partner I can help students see how college students study and have fun in the U.S.,” Vang said.
Smiling as she recalled time spent with Vang, Kawamura said, “I have an opportunity to speak and learn the culture.”
“We prepare students to attend college while learning about American life, family relationships and folklore,” Relacion said.
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Information from: Kenosha News, https://www.kenoshanews.com
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