From ELI to UA

• August 9th, 2021
• in English Language Institute International Main

Paola Sanabria Penuela was on one of the last planes out of Colombia before the borders closed due to the pandemic in March 2020.

Paola, originally from Venezuela, spent the summer in Huntsville with her mother and stepfather before starting ELI classes in August.

Ten months later, Paola completed the entire ELI program with good grades and earned an ELI Certificate of Proficiency, which can replace the standardized English test score required for international admission to The University of Alabama.

Paola will begin her undergraduate degree at UA this fall and hopes to become a physiotherapist. For her, “UA is a great place to study because people are friendly, and the campus is amazing!”

Like Paola, every year a number of ELI students successfully complete their Intensive English studies and are accepted into UA.

Intercultural Experience Showcase

• April 15th, 2021
• in English Language Institute International Main

On Tuesday, April 13, University of Alabama students presented posters highlighting their experiences from the CIP 202 course, Introduction to Global and Cultural Perspectives. This is an intercultural experience course that offers UA students the chance to meet with international students from all over the world. The UA students join English Language Institute (ELI) students to discuss cultural and current topics. The course provides the opportunity for the students to develop their intercultural competence, the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures.

Many of the students expressed that their biggest fear before joining the course was that they would say something inappropriate. However, once the course began, students quickly overcame this fear and began to form connections with the international students. UA students expressed surprise by how easily they could communicate with students from other countries and the many similarities they shared. Several UA students commented that this was their favorite class of the semester. As one student put it, it is a “life experience” class, not just a class focusing on a textbook. UA students felt that this class gave them confidence to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people in the future. For some students, the course led to an interest in studying abroad.

The ELI students benefit from the course as well. They have the opportunity to share their culture while learning more about U.S. culture and campus life.

Kelly McPherson, the course instructor, said, “It is really exciting to see the relationships between the American and international students grow over the course of the semester. You can see change on both sides as they truly get to know each other.”

The CIP 202 course is an introductory course for UA’s Global and Cultural Perspectives Minor.

Permanent Residents in Tuscaloosa

• December 16th, 2020
• in English Language Institute International Main

ELI student Abduljabar from Yemen

The English Language Institute serves not only students on student visas but also international permanent residents of Tuscaloosa.

Abdulwanab Fadhel, 35, has just completed the ELI program. He escaped the war in Yemen in 2016 and came to Tuscaloosa two years later. Abdulwanab established a store here and is improving his English to better conduct business and to pursue a master’s degree in law.

Abduljabar Saleh, 18, also left Yemen because of the war. At the age of 13, he went to Jordan and then graduated from high school in Turkey. In the fall of 2020, he joined his father, a businessman in Tuscaloosa, and began his studies at the ELI. Abduljabar hopes to earn a degree in international business law and improve the conditions in Yemen.

Abdulwanab summed up the ELI experience by saying, “Y’all made a change in us that could never be forgotten.”

Starting Your English Success (YES!) Online

• October 1st, 2020
• in English Language Institute International Main

Starting Your English Success (YES!) Online

This fall the English Language Institute (ELI) at UA is starting a new online 3-week certificate course program called Your English Success (YES!) Online.

The YES! Online program is for anyone who wants to improve their English skills. It is easy to enroll, and no visas or placement tests are needed. The courses include the following:

• 2 hours of Zoom class meetings
• 2 additional hours of activities/tutoring per week
• Personal attention and feedback from teachers who have master’s degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• Certificate following successful completion of the program

There are two courses beginning October 13. These courses will be offered at different times in order to allow people living in different time zones to study easily.

• Pronunciation Skills
• Business English Topics

Another two courses will be November 12.

• Intermediate Speaking & Listening
• Advanced Speaking & Listening

For more information about YES Online, visit the ELI’s website: https://international.ua.edu/eli/yes/

Turkish Consulate Scholarship Students at the ELI

• June 12th, 2020
• in English Language Institute International Main

World Friend’s Day at University Place Elementary, October 2019

 
Since 2008, Turkish students have come to the English Language Institute under the sponsorship of the Turkish Consulate. Their goal is to improve their English proficiency during six months of intensive language study at the ELI and then enter a graduate degree program, usually in the U.S. but also in countries such as China, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands and Australia. The Turkish students at ELI often fall in love with The University of Alabama and then hope to be admitted to a program here. They are currently studying in several departments, among them Geology, Civil Engineering and Education. The ELI looks forward to continuing a fruitful relationship with Turkey.

World Friends Day, Faucett-Vestavia Elementary School, February 2020

World Friends Day, Faucett-Vestavia Elementary School, February 2020

World Friends Day

• May 6th, 2020
• in English Language Institute International Main

A student from Ukraine teaches elementary students about her culture.

World Friends Day is a fun and exciting event that happens twice a year in the Fall and Spring Semesters. Students from the English Language Institute (ELI) visit elementary schools to present their cultures in the form of games, songs, dances, costumes and language activities. In Fall 2019 ELI went to University Place Elementary, and in Spring 2020 to Faucett-Vestavia Elementary. These two forums reached over 600 local school children. World Friends Day is a favorite event for everyone, and we hope to continue it in 2020 – 2021.

Students from Argentina share their music.

A Brazilian student gets elementary students involved in her culture.

A group of South American students participate in World Friends Day.

A South Korean ELI student teaches an elementary student how to use chopsticks.

Japanese students join World Friends Day.

Students from Argentina plays a game with elementary students.

Students create materials for the elementary school students.

Students from Colombia and Venezuela interact with students.

A student from Saudi Arabia teaches the Arabic alphabet.

A Turkish student plays a game with elementary students.

Turkish students show a painting technique using string.

Chinese students watch an elementary student play a game.

A group of Middle Eastern students share their culture at World Friends Day.

World Friends Day

Fulbright Scholarship Students at the ELI

• March 9th, 2020
• in English Language Institute

Fulbright ELI Students Outside of B.B. Comer

This spring the English Language Institute (ELI) at UA is welcoming five Fulbright scholarship students.

The Fulbright students come from Guinea, Haiti, Laos, Namibia, and Rwanda. The students will study English 20 hours a week for five months, as well as participate in seminars and cultural activities. After completing the ELI, they will begin graduate studies in the United States in August.

One of the current Fulbright students, Akser Mpugulu from Namibia, said of the program, “Now that I got a Fulbright scholarship, I am very honored and I look forward to help reduce poverty in my community if not eradicate it.”

This is the third year the ELI has been selected to host Fulbright Long-Term English Placement students. The ELI is pleased to partner with the Fulbright organization to support international exchanges.

ELI welcomes students from Chiba University in Japan

• February 14th, 2020
• in English Language Institute International Main

Chiba University nursing students at a welcome reception held at the Capstone College of Nursing

This spring the ELI welcomed 34 Japanese students from two Chiba University programs.

One of the programs is a two-week English + Nursing Program. The ELI partnered with the Capstone College of Nursing to offer observations of nursing classes, clinical immersion, simulator tutorials, tours of medical facilities, and assistance with the WellBAMA program. The students also take English classes with a focus on medical terminology. It has been 20 years since UA and Chiba University’s School of Nursing established this program.

The other program is a four-week Language & Culture Program offered through the ELI. The students attend three hours of English language classes each day. The classes focus on writing, speaking and American culture. In addition, the students experience university life and activities, as well as visit various southern cities including Atlanta and New Orleans. The ELI has offered this program to Chiba University students for over 25 years.

Before coming to UA, the Japanese students in both programs collaborated online with UA students in the Capstone College of Nursing and with the Applied Linguistics/TESOL program. These are two of four programs between UA and Chiba University which incorporate Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) components.

Later this month, another group of Japanese students from Chiba University will come to Tuscaloosa to visit local schools in coordination with the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Chiba University Language and Culture students in front of B.B. Comer

Friends of Fulbright Scholarship Students at UA

• January 23rd, 2020
• in English Language Institute

Friends of Fulbright students being welcomed at the airport.

This spring the English Language Institute (ELI) at UA is welcoming ten Friends of Fulbright scholarship undergraduate students from Argentina.

The Friends of Fulbright scholarship students take nine hours of English instruction per week and observe three University of Alabama undergraduate or graduate classes related to their majors. The goal of the program is for students from Argentina to gain familiarity with attending U.S. universities and experiencing life in the U.S. In addition to classes, the students participate in cultural activities on and off campus. The students plan to pursue graduate degrees after completing their undergraduate studies in Argentina.

This is the third year the ELI has been selected to host Friends of Fulbright. Guillermo Brauchli, a former Friends of Fulbright Scholarship student studying electrical engineering, said of the experience, “I find this program really fruitful in helping me to improve my English and getting involved with American culture. I really enjoyed my time in Tuscaloosa and I definitely plan to come back one day.”

The ELI is pleased to partner with the Fulbright organization to support international exchanges.

ELI hosts English + Nursing Programs

• December 18th, 2019
• in English Language Institute International Main

Ansan Nursing Students at DCH Hospital

This fall Korean students from Ansan University moved from the English language classroom to pathology and radiology labs. For a second year, the ELI partnered with Druid City Hospital (DCH) to provide an opportunity for students to improve their English skills and gain volunteer experience with a local hospital.

The students began their journey studying intensive English for 20 hours a week for 8 weeks. They also attended a class designed to introduce them to useful medical terminology and hospital procedures.

After their intensive English study, students volunteered with DCH for 20 hours per week. During this volunteer experience, the students shadowed physical therapists, doctors, nurses, and lab technicians.

This spring a group of Japanese students from Chiba University will also participate in an English + Nursing program. The ELI will partner with UA’s Capstone College of Nursing to provide a 2-week program which includes nursing class observations, clinical immersion, and simulator tutorials, as well as English instruction. It has been 20 years since UA and Chiba University’s School of Nursing established this program.

Chiba Nursing Students at DCH Hospital