The ESL Globe

The crowd warms to Dollywood on arrival. Photo by Kevin.

And hidden away in the Celebrity Theatre was a trove of the world’s most amazing acrobats. Bathed in orchid and cobalt lighting with flashes of white and gold, the beauty and athletic mastery of the Imaginé troupe was revealed in a 3 o’clock show in the darkened auditorium.

The students enjoyed the park’s rides as well, including the Blazing Fury, the River Rampage, and the heart-stopping Thunderhead roller coaster.

Festival of Nations Thrills

ESL Crowd at Dollywood

Globe

A publication of the

ESL Institute University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Spring 2009

On Thursday, April 2nd, ESL students enjoyed a field trip to Dollywood for the spectacular Festival of Nations. It was a gorgeous spring day and Dollywood was decked out beautifully with spring flowers and the colors and flavors of many nations.

The haunting pipe music of the Andes filled the air on Show Street where flashy Mariachi Band members chatted with the park’s guests. Shops and kiosks offered artifacts from the faraway lands of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

I

ESL Spring 2009

Guess who? It rhymes with “Tenny & Bara.” Photo by Kevin.

Incredible acrobats! Photo by Jongsik Lee.

The River Rampage. Who got wet?

Photo by Maria Anato.

Students hatch a plan to have fun. Photo by Miseon Kim.

The

Photo by Jose Ruiz.

Yoonji in the lab. The mice tremble.

During her time as an ESL and

UTC student, Yoonji was a first

violinist in the University

Symphony, a math tutor, and a

biology and chemistry lab

assistant. In order to manage all

these activities in addition to her

classes, she had to use her time

wisely each day.

Planning to remain at Duke for

two years, Yoonji is uncertain

about her future after that. She

knows that she will go on to a

combined Masters/PhD program

but hasn’t decided whether to

continue in research or to go into

pharmacy. The research lab is a

lonely place with grueling hours,

and since Yoonji is a “people

person,” pharmacy might be

more appealing.

We asked this remarkable young

scientist if she had any tips to

pass along to current ESL

students, and she mentioned a

few that helped her. To sharpen

English skills, Yoonji advises

students to get involved at the

University with native English

speakers. Join organizations on

campus and also make friends

with international students who

do not speak your language.

Additionally, Yoonji credits the

General Education classes, such

as history and philosophy that

she took as a UTC undergraduate

with improving her English very

much.

Congratulations to Yoonji Lee

and the best of futures to this

outstanding young woman!

YOONJI LEE’S SUCCESS STORY by Anne Rittenberry

A native South Korean, petite

and perky Yoonji Lee began our

ESL program in Level 3 several

years ago and now has achieved

her goal of working as a research

assistant at the Department of

Pediatrics and Division of

Medical Genetics at prestigious

Duke University in Durham, NC.

Her marvelous success makes all

of us in the English as a Second

Language Institute proud.

Yoonji’s success inspires our teachers to continue to put energy and love

into their teaching and inspires our students to persevere with their

lessons each day and to remain positive.

At Duke, Yoonji is part of a scientific study that is examining the causes of

mental health disorders including autism. Her professor gives her

assignments, and then she is on her own, isolating DNA and looking for

mutations, doing solitary work in a lab. Twice a week, she works with

laboratory mice, a job she doesn’t love but recognizes as the path to

scientific proof.

My Life in

Chattanooga by Heecheol Jeong

Some people come to a foreign country with a high ambition that everything will be OK. I came to the USA with that idea. Will I be able to succeed in it? I have been here for two months and I have had many experiences since I came here. I made foreign friends, I had a cold for one month, I played the French Horn with the UTC orchestra. All these experiences helped me to grow up and to be a better person. I am so happy because I have a fixed purpose which is to be a great orchestra conductor.

Spring 2009 ● Volume 1, Issue 1 ● ESL Globe ● UTC ESL Institute ● http://www.utc.edu/Academic/ESL/

Page 2

Jongsik’s favorite word:

cali

fragil

istic

expi

ali

docious!

Caption describing picture or graphic.

Peiman Sadrabadi is now living in

Orlando, Florida. He is a materials

engineer at Siemens. The new position is

perfect for him, as Siemens is a German

based company. Peiman lived for many

years in Erlangen, Germany where he

studied and worked as a research

assistant. After living only one year as a

green card holder in USA, his new job

combines his experience in Germany

with his achievement in UTC’s ESL

Institute.

Martha Marrufo is now studying in UTC’s

prestigious MBA Program. Instead of

grammar and vocabulary, she is now

studying topics like Finance and Business

Management.

Fashion diva Mane Gueye is at UTC

taking pre-nursing courses like chemistry,

math, and theatre. Whoa! Theatre? Way

to go, Mane! You were always a star.

Sean Yoon continues to advance his

career as a teacher in South Korea. He,

his wife (also a teacher), and their two

daughters have readjusted to the busy

lifestyle in South Korea, working hard and

studying hard. They are happiest about

getting back to Korean food. They really

missed their Korean cuisine during their

two-year stay in USA.

Peiman

Martha

Izumi, Mane, and Martha

Sean

American people and their culture are much different than my Peruvian culture. At first, I

did not understand a lot of things about America, but being married to an American and

also gaining a better understanding of the English language, I see Americans and

America in a new light. I appreciate many things about this great country, but in many

ways I feel that even though America is the richest and most powerful country in the

world, many Americans have lost their way. They have become poor in many ways. I

feel that American families have grown apart and they don’t show the love and warmth

to each other like in my country. My husband tells me that many Americans have lost their way. They want more and more, never

being satisfied with what they have. They are always thirsting for more. Many are suffering with the downfall

in the economy. But just maybe they will wake up and discover that their true wealth and riches have

always been right in front of their eyes, being each other. Just maybe they will go back to what made this

country great, their true values and morals. Just maybe we can live together in peace and harmony and

love again. I will be an American citizen soon and this is my hope and dream for all of us.

The American Dream? by Maggie Corzo

Page

Whatever happened to…

Super-

cali-

fragil-

istic-

expi-

ali- docious!


Page 3

Preparing to observe underwater worlds. Photo by Jongsik Lee.

Fun all around. Photo by Oscar Crespo.

After visiting the aquarium, the ESL students had lunch at 212 Market Street. It is a chic place to eat with a fine menu featuring nouvelle cuisine. Jane Womack arranged for a delicious buffet of chicken or prime rib with creamed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and salad. The desserts were scrumptious too—a selection of creamy, light, puffy pastries. It was fine fare after a day at the aquarium.

A Luncheon of Fine Fare at 212 Market Street

We had the opportunity to learn by interactive activities like feeding rays, touching sturgeon, and catching butterflies.

It was a fun day out followed by a fabulous lunch.

The Aquarium Trip was a big experience for all the ESL students because we could spend time with each other and also share with the exchange students from South Korea. Also we could see a lot of wonderful kinds of fauna from the oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.

Turtle or tortoise?

Crocodile or alligator?

Vertebrate or invertebrate?

Observers: Kevin, Minkyung,

Tess & Charles

Aquarium photos (above) by Jongsik Lee.

Oscar & Maria

AQUARIUM TRIP by Oscar Crespo & Maria Hernandez


Visiting students from Gangneung.

They Experienced Many Things in America They experienced many differences between Korea and America such as, life style, food, and leisure time activities. A few of them have visited America before, but they did not get the same experience. They were invited to many places around Chattanooga so they could see and experience many things. One example of a place they visited was the Aquarium. They had the

opportunity to socialize and get to know the ESL students. We took many pictures together and discussed about cultures of different countries. Even though they are in Korea now, we can keep in touch with them on the Internet. We will never forget them.

turn on the Text Box toolbar. To do

this, on the View menu, point to

Toolbars, and then

clic

k Text Box.

When you start writing your story, we

recommend that you do most of

your writing and editing before you

copy the text into the empty linked

text boxes. To move among linked

text boxes in a story, select a text

box that is part of a story. On the

Text Box toolbar, click Next Text Box

or Previous Text Box.

To copy or move linked text boxes,

select the first text box in the story.

Hold down SHIFT and select each

additional text box you want to

copy or move. On the Edit menu,

click Copy or Cut. Click where you

want to copy or move the text

boxes. On the Edit menu, click

Paste.

You can also break a link between

any two linked text boxes in a story.

To do this, select the text box. On

the Text Box toolbar, click Break

Forward Link.

On January 13, 2009, thirteen Korean students came to Chattanooga to study English, as exchange students. These students are from Gangneung , acity in Korea. Gangneung is a sister city with Chattanooga. From January to February there

is one special project that is to select thirteen students from Gangneung and invite them to Chattanooga to exchange culture and life style.

The text boxes in this newsletter are

linked, so text from one column

flows into the other column and you

can easily include more than one

story on a page.

When you are working

with linked text boxes, you should

Ca

ptio

n

des

crib

ing

pict

ure

or

gra

phi

c.

At the Tennessee Aquarium.

Special events for the students from Gangneung: VISITS •Coca Cola Company, Aquarium, Zoo, Lost Sea, and CNN in Atlanta. •Panama City, Florida for Scuba diving, shopping, and relaxation. •Teachers’ house, Rock City in Chattanooga. INVITES •Dinner party with Sister City friends. •UTC Orchestra •Lunch with UTC ESL student. •Farewell dinner at Asia Buffet Restaurant. •Visits to private homes.

Sooyong An: Balloon sculptor.

Page 4

Figure 1

Exchange Students from South Korea

by Sooyong An

How Did They Come to Chattanooga?


I had a small project which I had to do during a whole semester. It consisted of six steps; choose a topic in which you are interested, justify your topic, meet an expert on this topic, interview the expert, transcribe the interview, and invite the expert to the class to speak. When I heard the project from David, who is the teacher in my class, it sounded very complicated. Even though I agreed with his purpose that is improving our English skills in many-sided ways, I was concerned if I could do it or not.

Phillip focuses on his project.

I chose as my topic the UTC Lady Mocs, which is the women’s basketball team of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, because I like all kinds of sports, especially basketball. The UTC Lady Mocs are very famous and one of the best teams in the Southern Conference. After I chose the topic, I tried to search for information.

I realized that the coach of UTC Lady Mocs, who is Wes Moore, had been leading the team for 8 years. Moreover, since he came to coach the UTC Lady Mocs, the team has maintained an excellent record. I focused on him and determined to interview him.

Fortunately, I got approval very easily. Mr. Wes Moore consented to my interview suggestion by email. To make questions, however, was not as easy as I had thought it. I had to spend one whole night-time to confirm a couple of questions and to practice for my interview.

I had emailed a list of questions to him before I interviewed because I would like to give him some time to prepare for answering. The interview day came to me, and I went to Wes Moore’s office, room 400 in McKenzie Arena, on time. When I saw him, I was surprised. He wasn’t tall as much as I had thought. I had thought he was very tall and big because he had been a basketball player before. However, he was as tall as I am.

(Continued on Page 7)

Coach Wes Moore visits ESL Level 5 students.

Wes Moore and the

Lady Mocs

by Phillip Choi


“You should find a job you love. Do something that you love doing every day. If you’re unhappy five days a week and trying to get to the weekend for your two days of happiness, that’s not a good deal.”

-- Coach Wes Moore

Wes Moore, continued.

He was so kind and had a smiling face. I introduced myself briefly, and we started to interview. All of a sudden, I got so nervous that I forgot everything I had prepared. It was embarrassing. He gave me consideration, thankfully, then I could continue interviewing. I asked him several questions: When did you start to play basketball? How was your life when you were a player? What do you do the rest of the season?

What is the most difficult thing as a coach? And when was the best moment in your life? It took one hour and I recorded everything he said. We had a very interesting time with each other. We made an appointment for when he could come to my class.

After a few weeks, on March 26th, Mr. Wes Moore came to my class to speak about his life and UTC Lady Mocs. David, Jane, students, and I could share a memory of his life and have a discussion with each other. It was fun. Everybody liked him and he liked us. He gave us amusement, enjoyment, and a good lesson. I remember one thing that impressed me in his speech; “Do something that you love. You should find a job you love.” He was working at his favorite job, which is coaching basketball. “If you’re unhappy five days a week and trying to get to the weekend for your two days of happiness, that’s not a good deal.”

I am sure that this project is not only good for me, but also every student. I could check my entire English skills: writing, listening, and speaking. Sometimes I was confused, and sometimes I got depressed. However, I have done my project, I am proud of myself. I really appreciate David who gave me a chance to improve my English skills and encouraged me when I expressed doubt. Also, I thank Mr. Wes Moore for his participation. This project is the best assignment I have ever done before.

“My People Are…” by Nihan Gurer

Nihan reports on how students see their compatriots.

Benny: ”Chinese people are honest, friendly,

family-oriented, loving, hardworking and

responsible.”

Olga and Natalia: “Colombians are happy,

friendly, hardworking, and hospitable.”

Jose: ”People in Ecuador are friendly,

hardworking, helpful, and happy.”

Claudile: ”We French love our beautiful

language.”

Gyeongyong, Minkyung, SungSu, Heecheol,

Miseon, Kwangtak, Sooyong, Phillip, Jongsik:

”Koreans work hard and take responsibility;

we are shy, independent and respectful.”

Maggie: ”Peruvian people are friendly,

happy, hard-working, honest and helpful.”

Tatiana: ”Russians are strong, emphatic,

forceful, hardworking, smart, lighthearted,

hospitable, and inventive.”

Kevin: ”Thai people are very respectful, shy,

friendly, and always smiling.”

Nihan: ” Turks are favorable, impatient,

smiling, and hospitable.”

Thali: ”We Uruguayans are friendly,

hardworking, easygoing, and helpful.”

Maria, Oscar, Sabrina: ”Venezuelans are

friendly, hardworking, strong, smiling, and

love to party.”

Khang: ” Vietnamese are kind, simple, and

independent.”


I Like English

by Kim

I like to study English, but I am not good at English. I need to study, study, study. So I hope everyone will say to me, “You speak English very well!” So I go to ESL school. There people are kind to me. They are my friends, sometimes they are my teachers. So I always thank them. I go to enjoy the ESL school.

To My ESL Friends by Kwangtak Noh

Hello ESL Friends. This is Kwangtak Noh and I come from South Korea. It’s an honor to write my article for the ESL newsletter. I came here to study English like you. I have been majoring in English Literature and language in Korea. I needed to read some novels and textbooks, which were written by native English people; so my major required high level English ability. When I was a freshman, I couldn’t feel it because I just listened to the liberal arts and an optional subject. But after my army service, I felt much difficulty from the major subject and from other students who had studied in a country using English. So I decided to come here. Actually, on the first day, I worried so much about everything because I feel some difficulty when I meet someone for the first time. In addition to this personal problem, the language is another problem. Despite my anxiety, I have made many good friends and enjoy my life in this city. I like this city, the ESL class, my teachers and friends. Maybe I will study about one year. During a given period of time for me, I will keep going with every effort toward my goal and will accomplish it. I hope you guys will succeed too. Thank you.

Bogota is the capital of Colombia. There are great restaurants, events, businesses, places and history.

The city of Bogota has a great many tourist places with a combination of colonial buildings and skyscrapers.

Some of the places are as follows: La Candelaria Zone, La Plaza De Toros, La Santamaria ( Bullring Santamaria),

Bolivar Square, churches, museums, art galleries, Rosa Zone, Planetario, Botanical Garden, and shopping centers.

Bogota is just one of the beautiful cities that are in Colombia because Colombia has a lot of variety of climates,

plants, cultures, music and food.

.

Poem by MiSeon Kim Morning is present Start smile Family is present Say I love you Friend is present Say thank you Lover is present Brings me rest Nature is present Enjoy the nature Life is present Enjoy your life Everything is present We are happy people

Bogota by Natalia

Figure 2

Figure 3

Miseon


My Mentors by

Min Kyung

I am Min Kyung Park from South Korea. I like Chattanooga in the USA. I have been studying at this school for two semesters. I have been here for almost seven months. I have gotten a lovely family: uncle, aunt, my cousin Kim, as well as teachers and friends. So I have gotten mentors who are excellent, kind, and awesome.

They always make me laugh, give hugs, and give advice and teach me. My English has improved better than last semester. When I had problems, they helped me a lot. I do not miss my family and friends because I have many people around me. I think they are giving me support and knowledge.

These are just little things, but I thank them so much for everything. I love them, my Mentors. I hope they have the good luck always.

Where to Go in Cartagena

by Olga

There are many places to go in Cartagena de Indias, Places where you will find history, recreation, rest, culture, pleasure and more. A great varieety of places are waiting ofr the visitor willing to spend an agreeable and unforgettable time.

Cartagena de Indias has many interesting places which all year long are visited by international, national and local tourists, due to its historic, architectural, cultural aesthetic and recreational importance. Some of the most visited places are: La Catedral, Church of Santo Domingo, Gold Museum, Castle of San Felipe de Barajas, Aquarium San Martin, and the Rosario Islands.

In Cartagena de Indias there is a very interesting confluence of cultures happening for more than 500 years, starting with the natives, Spaniards, Africans, and Arabs. All this framed in one of the most beautiful cities in the Carribbean, where the visitor is attended as he/she deserves, with the happy and uncomplicated style of the people of Cartagena.

Baseball Game by

Sung Su Park

I watched the baseball game on TV

yesterday night. Japan vs. Korea.

In this game, two countries showed

good play, especially Iwakuma’s

pitching was amazing. Also, the

Korean relief pitcher Jeong’s fast

ball made many Japanese hitters

frustrated. Anyway, Japan won due

to Ichiro. However, the Korean

players did the best play. I am really

proud of these two countries. I think

that these two countries did such a

great thing.


Living in Chattanooga

by Tatiana

I have been living in Chattanooga since October of 2008. Originally I am from Moscow in Russia. Moscow is a very big city; the population is about 20 million people. Moscow has a huge metro system and good public transportation, so you could get everywhere without driving in your own car. Also, Moscow has a lot of museums, theaters, cinemas, parks, historical places, cafes, and restaurants.

So at first look, Chattanooga was a really tiny city and still seems very small to me. But Chattanooga has some outdoor attractions that we do not have in Moscow like white water rafting, many nice-looking back roads where you can ride on a bike, and beautiful mountains. Also, there are a lot of historical and touristy places near here like Gatlinburg, Savannah (Georgia), and Biltmore (North Carolina). So Chattanooga has just a different kind of beauty than Moscow.

ESL Voices:

“ I like…”

by Jose Ruiz, Nihan Gurer & Tara Kerr


My Country

Ecuador

by Jose Ruiz

Ecuador is a small country located in South America. The borders are: north with Colombia, south and east with Peru, and west with the Pacific Ocean. The official money is the US dollar and the official language is Castilian, which was the only language spoken at the beginning of Spain, but this name was changed to Spanish which has brought discrepancies between people who study the language. Four Regions The predominant religion is Catholicism. Most people in Ecuador are friendly and especially with the tourists, but there are some people who steal. Ecuador has the privilege of having four regions: Costa, Sierra, Oriente, and Galápagos Islands. The Costa region has weather with an average temperature of 77°F all year. Beaches There are a lot of beaches in this region and tourist places. The second important city, Guayaquil, is located in this region. The Sierra region has weather with an average temperature of 53°F whole year. In this region there are three volcanoes and one of them is actually active, the Tungurahua volcano.

Snow In highest places of this region you can find snow. The most important tourist places in this region are the mountains, which are part of the Andes chain. People from the Sierra region are more polite than people from the Costa region. The capital, Quito, and the second most important city, Cuenca, are located in this region.

The Oriente region is a poor region although there is a lot of oil in there. The access roads are so bad and sometimes are difficult to travel on these roads. Tourists love to see native people who still live in this area and the huge quantity of nature that they can find here. Nature The reason there is a lot of nature in this area is because it is part of the Amazonas. The main characteristic of this region is the weather which is very variable, typical Amazonas weather. The last region is Galapagos Island, a heritage of humanity. Galapagos is one of most famous tourist places in the world because of its special kinds of animals. Galapagos Sometimes people know and talk about Galapagos, but they do not know that it is part of Ecuador. This region has a problem with overpopulation and the Ecuadorian government is trying to bring back these people to the continent because the overpopulation threatens the ecosystem in this region. Ecuador is a perfect place to visit and enjoy a lot of diversity.


Page 3 Spring 2009 ● Volume 1, Issue 1 ● ESL Globe ● UTC ESL Institute ●

More ESL

Voices:

“I like…”

by Jose Ruiz, Nihan Gurer & Tara Kerr

The ESL Globe Staff

Oscar Crespo

Editor-in-Chief Jose Ruiz

Copy Editor Maria Hernandez

Graphics Editor Nihan Gurer

Star Reporter Sooyong An

Chief Reporter David Van Ingram Editorial Advisor

Tara Kerr Student Advisor


Page 3 Spring 2009 ● Volume 1, Issue 1 ● ESL Globe ● UTC ESL Institute ●

DEDICATION: This very humble edition of the ESL Globe is dedicated to the Director of the ESL Institute,

Jane Womack, who makes all things ESL, great and small, happen.

Thank you Jane!

The ESL Globe

Education

Transcript of The ESL Globe