Home away from home

Monday, July 13, 1998

Home away from home

STUDENTS: UCLA programs prepare

foreign students for

the real world

and help prospective

students adjust to college life

By Michelle Navarro

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Who needs to go to Disneyland to ride "It’s a Small World" when
they can come to UCLA to experience the cultures of the world?

Here amid the shady trees and brick walls, many of the voices
filtering through the air are not speaking English.

Instead, the sounds of Japanese, Dutch, Spanish and several
other languages are spoken.

To top it off, many students trodding upon the hills of UCLA are
too young to know who the A-Team was.

These are students who see the summer break as the perfect time
to become familiar with California culture.

Two organizations, the English Conversation Program (ECP) and
the Summer Discovery Program (SDP), have the common goal of making
international students feel comfortable – whether it be with
speaking conversational English or with the college
environment.

The 30-year-old ECP gears toward enhancing the English
communication skills of international students, scholars, their
families and friends, or any interested community members.

"I would like to develop my English skills, especially my
conversation skills," said Shinji Matsumura, a UCLA Public Health
student who arrived on campus about a year ago from Japan.

"I have the chance to read the newspaper and watch the
television," he said, "but you can’t have a conversation with
them."

According to Alan Shepherd, program coordinator for the
International Student Center, the program utilizes an "informal and
relaxed" atmosphere in their courses. The students talk in a room
the size of an intimate conference room, with one main table and
surrounding swivel chairs – a huge difference from
300-person-capacity lecture halls.

The classes, which range from six to 12 people in size, are
taught by volunteers trained in teaching English as a second
language. There are no standard textbooks, as volunteers mainly use
just a few handouts and some good conversation.

"They have the basic grammar, and the reading and writing skills
down," Shepherd said. "They just need the practice so they can
communicate with Americans and make more friends."

Stationed in the Dashew International Student Center, located in
the Bradley Center, ECP began a few weeks ago and will continue
until the end of July. It is available throughout the academic
year, but this is the first summer session ever offered.

Shepherd said the program was so popular this year that an
enrollment cap was imposed, leaving the final number at 46 students
from various countries like Ecuador, China, Poland, France and the
Ukraine.

One student in ECP, who arrived a couple of weeks ago from
Japan, tried hard to express her first impressions of Los
Angeles.

"Very secure, not so afraid," said Myyabi Tanaka, biting her lip
as she tried to think of the right words. "Right now it’s bright,
even until nighttime."

On the other hand, Matsumura was more amazed with the diversity
of Los Angeles and the various ethnic enclaves, like Koreatown and
Chinatown, in the city.

Meanwhile, as those students practice their English, students
farther up the hill are learning what it’s like to be a college
student.

Hedrick Hall is the headquarters for the SDP, a college-prep
camp staffed by adults from over 50 different colleges across the
nation.

Inside the hall are a multitude of high school students from 39
states and over 20 countries around the world.

On one of the walls lies a giant calendar of events for the
program’s participants. Each day has a designated activity, from
Rock N’ Bowl to visiting San Francisco.

"(The program) is extremely eccentric compared to the others,"
said Robby Lipper, a high school junior from New York, listening to
a World Cup Soccer game on the radio.

"There’s so much freedom," Lipper said, his eyes wide with
amazement.

The students spend three to six weeks in the summer taking a
couple of college credit courses. Enrichment classes, ranging from
fashion to SAT prep, are offered as well.

In exploring the Southern California area, going to amusement
parks and singing Karaoke, they are also given a dose of what
college life and living in Los Angeles is all about.

"We keep the days full and happy," said Neal Waldman, director
of the UCLA Summer Discovery Program. "We want to help them get
familiar with college and to have a good time."

All the outings are made possible by a fleet of 15 vehicles – an
absolute necessity when 500 students are a part of the
organization.

One of the students said he was learning a lot from the program
but that there was one part of college life which stuck out the
most.

"It’s an interesting and good learning experience," said Shawn
Kest, a junior from New Jersey. "You learn a sense of
responsibility and how to live without parents."

Photos by BAHMAN FARAHDEL

Tina Bay, left, a third-year student, is teaching English to
foreign students in the Bradley International Center this
summer.

The Dashew International Student Center houses summer
classes.