Mon, May 7th, 2012
The "Travel Around the World" program will launch on May 8, 2012, by pairing Hocking College International English as a Second Language (ESL) students with fifth-graders from Nelsonville-York Elementary School.
Hocking ESL students will provide an interactive presentation, including information about their country and culture, to four groups of Nelsonville-York Elementary fifth grade students on May 8 at 9:20, 10:10 and 11 a.m. and May 10 at 9:20 a.m. The ESL students from China and Venezuela will teach the children to dance the "Venezuelan" way, make a traditional Venezuelan dish called arepa, write their names in Chinese and practice Chinese school break exercises.
Not only will the ESL students share their culture, but they will also use this as an opportunity to learn about the American educational system. The presentation will serve as the mid-term exam/project to evaluate the ESL students' vocabulary, speaking, and listening skills.
Dominika Adamova, Hocking College ESL Instructor, plans to begin offering these presentations every semester as a service-learning component of the ESL classes. Her hope is to eventually expand into other area elementary schools.
"The program is based on the premise that becoming familiar with other cultures opens up horizons for young people. As such, it promotes diversity, and it has a potential to prevent bullying and to support intercultural communication," Adamova said.
The "Travel Around the World" program is part of the "We Are One Hocking" initiative, which is an ongoing campaign of the Diversity Without Division Alliance. The "One Hocking" initiative reinforces the emphasis on celebrating differences and providing a campus where all students are afforded a safe learning environment.
Hocking ESL students will provide an interactive presentation, including information about their country and culture, to four groups of Nelsonville-York Elementary fifth grade students on May 8 at 9:20, 10:10 and 11 a.m. and May 10 at 9:20 a.m. The ESL students from China and Venezuela will teach the children to dance the "Venezuelan" way, make a traditional Venezuelan dish called arepa, write their names in Chinese and practice Chinese school break exercises.
Not only will the ESL students share their culture, but they will also use this as an opportunity to learn about the American educational system. The presentation will serve as the mid-term exam/project to evaluate the ESL students' vocabulary, speaking, and listening skills.
Dominika Adamova, Hocking College ESL Instructor, plans to begin offering these presentations every semester as a service-learning component of the ESL classes. Her hope is to eventually expand into other area elementary schools.
"The program is based on the premise that becoming familiar with other cultures opens up horizons for young people. As such, it promotes diversity, and it has a potential to prevent bullying and to support intercultural communication," Adamova said.
The "Travel Around the World" program is part of the "We Are One Hocking" initiative, which is an ongoing campaign of the Diversity Without Division Alliance. The "One Hocking" initiative reinforces the emphasis on celebrating differences and providing a campus where all students are afforded a safe learning environment.
