Fri, Jun 1st, 2012
The "Travel Around the World" Hocking College English as a Second Language (ESL) community service project launched in May 2012 taught more than 100 fifth- and sixth-graders from Nelsonville-York Elementary School.
Hocking ESL students provided interactive presentations about their country and culture. According to the follow-up evaluations from the students, the most popular activities were dancing the "Venezuelan" way, having their names written in Chinese, and the question and answer session. Nelsonville-York teachers highly appreciated the academic and social benefit of such experience for the students who otherwise have little opportunity to meet and interact with people from other countries.
Not only did the ESL students share their culture, but they also used this as an opportunity to learn about the American educational system, speak with native speakers of English from the general public, and improve their ESL vocabulary and speaking/listening skills.
After the presentations, the ESL students toured Nelsonville-York school buildings with assistant principal Lindy Douglas. For some ESL students, the school looked very different from the schools in their country. Guan Jian and Xiaodong Song from China were especially surprised about the nice and colorful classrooms and the large playground. “The students were in comfortable conditions!” Song stated. In China, about 50 students are in each classroom.
Domi Adamova, Hocking College ESL Instructor, plans to continue 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. “It also may inspire the young people to become potential Hocking College students in the future,” she added.
Hocking ESL students provided interactive presentations about their country and culture. According to the follow-up evaluations from the students, the most popular activities were dancing the "Venezuelan" way, having their names written in Chinese, and the question and answer session. Nelsonville-York teachers highly appreciated the academic and social benefit of such experience for the students who otherwise have little opportunity to meet and interact with people from other countries.
Not only did the ESL students share their culture, but they also used this as an opportunity to learn about the American educational system, speak with native speakers of English from the general public, and improve their ESL vocabulary and speaking/listening skills.
After the presentations, the ESL students toured Nelsonville-York school buildings with assistant principal Lindy Douglas. For some ESL students, the school looked very different from the schools in their country. Guan Jian and Xiaodong Song from China were especially surprised about the nice and colorful classrooms and the large playground. “The students were in comfortable conditions!” Song stated. In China, about 50 students are in each classroom.
Domi Adamova, Hocking College ESL Instructor, plans to continue 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. “It also may inspire the young people to become potential Hocking College students in the future,” she added.
