ELI hosts faculty, staff members from China’s Sichuan University

Twelve faculty and staff members from China are participating in a short-term language and culture program at the English Language Institute.

The group from Sichuan University of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, arrived at UT on June 7 and will stay on campus through June 22.

The members will spend weekday mornings participating in an English language course taught by ELI and other UT faculty.

“None of this group has traveled to the United States before, so this is UT’s chance to make a positive first impression of both Tennessee and the U.S.,” says Dr. Jim Hamrick, ELI director.

Also while in Knoxville, the group will visit area attractions such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Museum of Appalachia, Tennessee Smokies professional baseball, Knoxville Museum of Art, and take a day trip to Nashville.

UT and Sichuan signed a linkage agreement in November 2004 to promote the exchange of students, the exchange of faculty members, and collaboration on research.

Venezuelan student follows dad to ELI

Andreina Brandt heard so much about her father Andre’s experience at the English Language Institute that she decided to try it for herself.

 “My father really just wanted to be in a small town like Knoxville, and he absolutely loved it,” says the 26-year-old Venezuelan, who studied at ELI this spring and equally enjoyed it.

 Brandt says one of her favorite things is learning about new cultures.

“There are so many different cultures represented in ELI and I love learning all of (them),” Brandt says. “I learn something new every day.”

 Brandt is pursuing a master’s degree in human resources.

Student discusses the nutritious food made in Korea

Junghee Han of Korea studied this fall at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute.

In Korea, there are three kinds of food at each meal: rice, soup, and side dishes.

These foods have plenty of carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins.

First, Korean people eat cooked rice as a staple food. The cooking method is steeping rice and cereals, then boiling them in an electric rice cooker for 15-20 minutes.

Others are gooksu (noodles) and juk (porridge). People eat gooksu instead of cooked rice. 

Gooksu is prepared with an anchovy soup, boiled noodles, and a garnish. When people are sick, they eat juk. Juk is a kind of cooked rice, but it is more watery.

Second, gook (soup) and jjikae (stew) have a lot of water. Gook is more soup than solid stuff. For example, miyuk gook (brown seaweed soup) is prepared with brown seaweed, beef, and water.

Bukagook (dried pollack soup) is prepared with dried pollack, eggs, and green onions. 

Jjigae (stew) is more solid stuff than soup. For example, kimchijjigae is prepared with kimchi and pork.

Toenjangjjigae (soybean-paste stew) is prepared with soybean paste, tofu, and pumpkin.

Finally, there are side dishes served only in Korea. Generally, people say that side dishes are kimchi, dried dishes (roasted anchovy and seaweed, etc.) and cooked potherbs (bean sprouts, etc.)

If you look into Korean foods, they are very nutritious. Rice is a source of carbohydrates, and tofu, fish, and meat are sources of protein. Also, sesame oil is put in most foods as a source of fat. The others are sources of vitamins and minerals.

In conclusion, Korean food has plenty of nutrition and is good for people’s health.

American dorm life agrees with Vietnamese student

Linh Vong of Vietnam studied at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute this fall.

This is the first time I have come to the United States to study.

I am living away from my family. Therefore, I’ve (had to face) a lot of difficult things, such as language, traffic, etc.

Although I have my cousins who are living here that help me so much, that’s not like my immediate family. I stay at their home on the weekends.

On weekdays, I stay at the college dorm.

I recognized that life in the college dorms is interesting, and I have a lot of advantages of living (there), such as economy, studying, and outside activities. I can save money and improve my studying and my ability in outside activities.

The first advantage is economical.

I paid only one time for my three meals for two months in the cafeteria and my school fees. Instead of having to pay $20 every day, now I can save $15 every day from it. 

Moreover, I don’t waste any fuel, such as gas, because I walk to school every day. It’s near my dorm.

The second advantage is studying.

I have a lot of time for studying because I (save) 45 minutes riding from my house to my dorm. That time is enough for me to read a few paragraphs and figure out new words.

I concentrate on my lessons when I’m in the library and study with my friends there. They help me so much. I learn a lot of good things from them.

Finally, every day at the dorm, UT’s groups have many outside activities, such as free food, free stuff, games, and so on.

Nothing prevents me from joining them. I also play some sports I like that I don’t have at my home.

Moreover, I can do things with my friends at night, such as watch movies in their room, go to the cinema, or join in a birthday party.

To sum up, I’m happy and comfortable, and I have many friends from different countries when I stay at the college dorm.

Student writes about all the tea in China

Fei Du wrote about the different types of tea in China while studying this fall at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute.

As some people know, Chinese people drink tea every day, and we love tea very much.

In China, there is a long-standing history of tea. We have several different ways to classify the tea.

The most common way is to classify (it) by the color of the tea. Teas could be divided into green tea, red tea, black tea, white tea, and yellow tea.

But most Chinese people just know and enjoy green tea, red tea, and black tea, which are the most prevalent.

Green tea has the longest history (of about 3,000 years) of all the tea in China. (It is made in one of four methods.) The four methods are saute, roast, steam, and to bask in the sun.

To bask tea in the sun is a widespread method which is derived from the 8th century. When good green tea that is manufactured (in this method), the water in the cup is light green, and the tea at the bottom of the cup is turquoise. This kind of dry tea is forest green.

The most famous green teas are Longjing, Bi Luochun, and Yulu. 

Moreover, green tea has special functions, which contain many natural substances that can kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, resist and prevent cancer, (and) prevent the aging process.

Red tea is the second popular tea in China, even in the world. It is derived from the 16th century, and in 1610 was transported to Europe by Dutchmen. 

Because of its special process, some elements occur from chemical reactions. The fresh tea just has 50 fragrance substances. Good red tea makes the water really red. The best red tea is Kungfu tea.

Black tea is a type of fermented tea and prevalent in the regions of minority nationalities. The limitations of the regions do not suit the tea to grow well.

Usually the qualities of the raw materials are older and rougher than other places. People normally put the raw tea into a pile to ferment it for a long time.

After this processing, the tea will have a special fragrance and functions.

Some of this black tea, such as pu’erh tea, is very expensive. This tea is considered to be a health-care tea. Its special elements could decrease (a person’s) blood pressure and blood fats, helping people lose weight and adjust their excretion. This type of tea is now more and more popular in China.

Above all, Chinese people like tea, and these three kinds of tea are also popular all over the world.

Student suggests Tehran as a vacation spot

Younes Sina studied at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute this fall.

If you have $3,000 and you want to spend a great five-day vacation, I would suggest that you come to Tehran, the capital of Iran because Tehran has many interesting places, delicious food, and inexpensive goods.

Although Tehran has a history of a few hundred years as the capital, it is a modern city. You can find many historical places as well as modern buildings.

Most of the historical buildings, from the time of the Qajar Dynasty, are located in the central part of the city. One of these buildings, called Shams-al-Emare (the Building of the Sun) was the seat of the Qajar kings.

The highest building, the Tehran Tower, is a symbol of modern Tehran, and it can be seen from any point in the city. It is a 450-meter high multipurpose building (with) a fancy rotating restaurant and many international conference halls and communication systems.

Museums are other interesting places to see. The most popular museums are the rug, jewelry, modern art, and ancient Iran museums.

Placid parks and beautiful resorts are the lungs of Tehran. If you are tired of breathing big-city air, just go to one of the natural resorts in the mountainous areas north of Tehran. You can breathe cool, fresh air there.

As a tourist, you can find some of the best food in Tehran. The majority of the restaurants serve Iranian kabobs. If you are not a fan of kabobs, don’t worry, because you can find international foods almost anywhere.

Compared with the food in many other places, the food in Tehran is not expensive, and it is healthy and delicious.

Chicken, coobide, and barg kabobs served with the traditional drink, dogh, are some examples of Iranian-style barbeque.

Delicious stews that are served with steamed rice are another kind of good food. Fesenjun, ghorme sabzi, ghaime, and bademjan stews are some more examples of these tasty dishes.

Torshi, lavashak, and faloode are kinds of appetizers and desserts for Iranians.

As a tourist, you can find a lot of inexpensive goods as souvenirs.

The Great Bazaar of Tehran is one of the best places to buy good quality stuff. You can find almost anything there — Persian rugs, jewelry, clothes, dried fruit and nuts, as well as the best collection of international products.

Maybe you, as a stranger, have heard some things about Iran, such as Iran’s being a member of the “axis of evil” in conflict with the Western countries. However, if you travel to Tehran, you will find some facts to the contrary.

Iran is a multinational country. If you walk in the streets of Tehran, you will find a variety of people with different languages and ethnicities.

Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Arabs, Lors, and Baluchis are just a few of the nations who have lived together peacefully in Iran for thousands of years.

But regardless of their ethnic differences, the people of Iran, and particularly those who live in Tehran, are very friendly and hospitable.

Although Iran’s government has a lot of difficulties with Western countries, especially the USA, the people themselves are very friendly toward Americans.

As you can see, Tehran is one of the best places to visit because it has many interesting places and delicious food.

So come to Tehran for the vacation of your life.

Taiwan student “jumps into the English environment” and enjoys the experience

Wen-Jun Lui of Taiwan studied at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute this fall.

I prefer to study English in English-speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and the United States rather than in my native country, Taiwan.

No doubt, the environment is the most significant reason for the English learner.

First of all, when one is studying English abroad, there are more English media like TV and radio programs that will help in developing one’s listening skills.

There are American TV programs in my country, but they are not the latest. There may be American radio (stations) on the Internet, but that is not the most convenient or accessible way to be exposed to the language.

If I am studying English in America, by just turning on the radio channel on my cellular phone, I can listen to American live radio wherever I am.

No one talks to me in Chinese, my native language, here, which forces me to speak English all the time. I can improve my oral skills in communication rapidly because everyone speaks English wherever I go.

The teachers, my American roommates and even international students speak English here to make friends.

The tutoring service centers have English-native teachers, but the tuition fee is at least $18 (in U.S. dollars) per hour. I may have two hours of English-speaking practice at tutoring service centers. However, what language will I speak with my family when I go home? Chinese, of course!

Reading material is one of the most important factors and attractions to reading in English. If opening a textbook makes you feel sleepy, how about reading a magazine or the newspaper?

Lots of English reading resources in English-speaking countries will lead you to enjoy reading different things such as advertisements and newspapers in daily life. Reading posters and billboards is not only for the purpose of improving your English-reading ability, but also for helping you to get news about the latest activities.

(In America) I can learn English constantly every day, even every moment.

Every day I have to eat. I can learn lots and lots of vocabulary related to food.

Every day I have to speak with natives. I can learn standard pronunciation and strengthen my grammar structure.

When I use the wrong sentence, the people I am talking with, whose native language is English, will teach me at once.

In conclusion, the fastest way to make advancements in English is just to jump into the English environment and enjoy learning. And that is exactly why I am here in the USA.

Korean student chooses career as an ESL teacher

Eun Hye Choi of Korea studied at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute this fall.

When I was a little girl, I happened to see the movie Romeo and Juliet. From that time on, I became extremely interested in English and Western culture.

Thus, I decided to study English enthusiastically and later to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English and English literature. Before my full-scale study, I thought it would be a wonderful and elegant scholarship.

However, during my undergraduate years, I realized that I had to do something different from others in my class to gain proficiency in English. That is, I not only (had to) study hard for myself, but I also had to go to an English-speaking country.

I thought that it was a better way to get over my fault in my personality. So I had to make money for my goal.

After graduating from the university, I got a job as an English instructor.

Four years later, I had to leave that job for personal reasons and I started tutoring as a freelancer. I not only earned quite a bit of money, but I also learned to have self-confidence in English.

Still, I felt frustrated in speaking and listening in English. Besides, while teaching English, I had my mind on another goal, pursuing a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

So I applied to the English Language Institute at the University of Tennessee.

With a M.A. degree in TESL, I’d like to return to my country, Korea, and teach English for the rest of my life. Eventually, I would like to help people who are eager to be fluent at English as a language teaching specialist.

I would be happy to contribute the most efficient methods of teaching English to other students.

Saudi student compares educational systems

Ammar Abo Al Saud of Saudi Arabia studied at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute this fall. Ammar wrote a comparison of the American and Saudi educational systems for a class writing exercise.

Education plays a very important part in one’s life.

With proper education, you can have a wonderful life. You can live a happy life as an education person and build a great family to live with.

Also, with a good degree and a good education, you can find a good career with a good salary to support yourself and your family financially.

Of course, the educational system varies from one country to another.

For example, the American educational system is different from the Saudi system, and here are four of these differences.

+ The first difference is that in the United States, some universities have a regular class-teaching system, and others have a self-teaching system; meaning that the teacher gives the students books and some Web sites and they have to teach themselves. The teacher’s job is to explain to the students the things they couldn’t understand by themselves.

On the other hand, in Saudi Arabia, all of the universities have the regular class-teaching system.

+ The second difference between them is that in the United States, the universities are a lot bigger than the ones in Saudi Arabia.

In the U.S., some universities are as big as a whole city and have shops, supermarkets, restaurants, and even a hospital.

On the other hand, in Saudi Arabia, universities are just like compounds that a full of buildings and surrounded by a fence, and have a small medical center and small cafeterias.

+ Another difference is that in the U.S., universities cost a large amount of money (to attend).

In Saudi Arabia, the best universities are the governmental universities, and they are completely free, even the books. In addition to being free, they pay the students a monthly salary while they are studying.

+ One more difference between the two is that in the U.S., boys and girls study together in the same university, and in the same classes.

However, in Saudi Arabia, there are universities for boys and others for girls.

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what kind of systems you (attend).

As long as you work hard in order to receive a good education and a good degree that can help you achieve what you want in your life, nobody will care about the system that you (attend).

Mali native reflects on changes in his country

Mahamadou Diarra of Mali, West Africa, studied at the University of Tennessee’s English Language Institute this fall. Diarra gives his insights into how his country has changed.

My country Mali, which is located in West Africa, has known changes in the past two decades.

Many things have changed our lives such as lifestyle, communication, and transportation systems, the increase of life cost, etc.

These situations are the result of some policy changes which occurred after we became a democratic nation in 1992.

Before these situations happened, people lived simply with less worries.

At that time, we were strongly attached to our culture because of the way we live and wear clothes. It was easy to have a big family without suffering to take care of them, because life was really cheap.

Traditional clothes like the bogolan made by our own manufacturers were fashionable.

The music style at that time was less influenced by the occidental music. These types of instruments used were traditional, such as the Kora, the xylophone, the drum, etc. Sometimes they used to mix them with some modern instruments (guitar, piano, etc.)

Furthermore, the job market wasn’t too competitive. It was easier to get a good job after college without competing. This was due to the low rate of education in many parts of the country. Despite that, the cost of living was cheap, and the communication and transportation means weren’t developed.

However, nowadays life has changed.

With the growth of cities, populations’ needs have increased considerably, and it is difficult to move from one place to another.

With technology developments, the lifestyle in Mali is not the same as before. For example, everyone wants to own a cell phone, car, computer, etc.

Now, instead of wearing clothes from our country, we are all influenced by the Western styles. Rap has replaced our music, and young people like only American-style music, which is now a reference for all the new generations.

The education rate has increased and life is becoming more expensive and competitive than before, (especially) in the job market, where it is very hard to find a job. So now, the unemployment rate has increased.

Furthermore, the transportation means are developed and there are many infrastructures such as highways and bridges for the purpose of making the traffic fluid. Unfortunately, the increasing of traffic and industry created pollution problems.

Although these changes have brought some problems, they have been good for the country because more children have the chance to go (to) school, (and) the development of technology has made life easier than before because of the transportation and communication means.

In conclusion, I’ll say that despite the fact that we’ve lost some habits in regard to our culture, this period of change allowed my country to blossom by bringing new things, developing many sectors and creating many infrastructures of connection.