Special English Language Programs

This course enables participants to improve and strengthen their verbal English language skills for classroom teaching, learning collaboration and conversational exchanges. Participants will be able to develop and practice their speaking skills in their respective subject areas. In addition, through the use of English, participants will be introduced to student-centered teaching strategies. A variety of activities will be used to develop and enhance the participants’ communication skills.

This course introduces a variety of teaching pedagogies and strategies suitable for use in teaching various subjects in university classrooms and provides opportunities for participants to practice various pedagogies in small and large group settings. Authentic American English teaching materials in various subject areas will be presented and discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and adapt the American English teaching materials to their subjects and enhance learning for the non-native speaker.

This course focuses on several types of professional writing, such as abstracts, summaries, literature reviews, research proposals, progress reports, final research reports, research essays, and grant proposals. Representative English writing samples as presented at professional conferences or published in professional journals are selected as readings to familiarize participants with particular requirements, special styles, and standard documentation styles (MLA, APA and other styles) of writing in the disciplines of the humanities, the social sciences, business, and the natural and applied sciences.

This course provides participants with an introduction to the writing process commonly used in academic writing, and offers a plan for building on strengths and eliminating weaknesses. It provides explanations and opportunity for practice and guides each participant to become a stronger writer by applying the principles directly to their writing. It guides participants through the expository and argumentative essays, provides discussion of writing conventions – grammar, paragraph construction and essay development, diction, stylistic choices, punctuation, mechanics, and common documentation styles.

This course focuses on the multifaceted and complex relationship between American language and culture - how each shapes and reflects the other. Participants will learn how language use simultaneously reflects cultural values and serves to create and reinforce these values. Many of the examples to be considered are from American English in the United States but the principles to be studied are the same for all human languages in cultures all over the world. The course also examines the relationship between American language and society – how language and society interact. The general question to be discussed is what determines who among speakers can say what to which other speakers. The course considers a variety of topics, all of which demonstrate how cultural characteristics and attitudes are constructed by and manifested through language use in society.

This course offers opportunities for participants to become familiar with current administrative systems of higher education in America, educational philosophies, demographic trends, patterns of funding, undergraduate and graduate curriculum design and new areas of academic study, governance models, program assessment, and accreditation. The course will include discussions of current issues such as access and equity, faculty roles and responsibilities, academic specialization and general education. Administrators and professors with expertise in various fields of American higher education are invited as guest lecturers on selected topics. During the course, participants are given opportunities to discuss issues with course faculty, guest speakers and exchange ideas.

Technology is an integral part of our lives and all levels of education. This course focuses on integrating technology into various curricula and enables participants to use technology-integrated strategies and models that are proven to be successful. As more and more technological resources become available, it is necessary that instructors become aware of how those resources might be used to enhance teaching and learning. This course gives an overview of some of those resources and their pedagogical benefits, suggests creative activities for using those resources, and assess students’ reaction to the integration of technology into their classes. Guidelines for implementation of technology in the classroom setting will be discussed. Participants will also get a glimpse of how technology will impact future learning. Thus, participants will be able to become creative in evaluating how technology can improve teaching and student learning.

This course instructs participants to write a presentation targeting a specific audience; to select appropriate content and language; to create an effective message, and to develop a logical presentation structure. Participants will design presentation visuals through the utilization of a variety of tools such as overhead projectors, slide projectors, and PowerPoint. Participants receive ample opportunities to practice their oral presentation skills in order to improve and gain confidence in their public speaking abilities and to effectively communicate their thoughts and ideas. Participants will receive precise and practical feedback on their presentation performances, thereby, enabling them to progress to the next professional level.

This course focuses on the key principals and techniques of writing for publication in professional journals. It provides participants with guidance on how to produce effective and professional writing by introducing them to creative writing and the publishing process. Participants follow the various steps of manuscript preparation including the process of writing for publication, the key elements in preparing a manuscript, the components of manuscript preparation, the commonly used documenting styles, and the submission and editorial process. Participants examine the writers’ craft using a wide range of professional works as models.

Schedule: Four weeks in July and/or August

Program Description

• Classes from Monday to Thursday.
• Four cultural trips on Fridays.
• Lecture series on American Issues.

Program Cost: $5,500/participant. Includes:

• Accommodations in air-conditioned, apartment-style residence hall.
• Dining stipend plus meals for selected social functions.
• Cultural excursions with transportation and entrance fees paid.
• J-1 or F-1 visa documentation assistance.
• Access to the library, internet, and fitness center.

Schedule: Four or three-week program, all year round, usually in summer

Program Description

• Classes from Monday to Thursday.
• Round-table conferences on sociocultural and global education/exchange issues.

Program Cost: $1,700/participant. (Four-Week Program)

The price for a three-week program will be provided upon request.

Host University Responsibilities:

• Pick up and drop off faculty from/to the airport.
• Provide a per diem amount to cover three meals per day (needs to be negotiated based on local costs).
• Provide a private room in a hotel with bathroom or other appropriate facility with easy access to classrooms.
• Provide faculty with office space and access to computers and copiers.
• Make copies of the course packets for each participant.
• Arrange two cultural excursions for faculty