LTC Summer Institute 2011 Newsletter

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | LTC SUMMER INSTITUTE SUMMER 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

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FEATURE STORIES

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A FEW GOOD PHOTOS

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UNT SCHOLAR STORIES

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QUESTION & ANSWER

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CREATIVE CORNER

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EXPERIENCE STORIES

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THE HEATS T U D E N T N E W S L E T T E R

UAEM ENGLISH TEACHERS GO THE EXTRA MILE By Kristan Taylor

Throughout these two weeks, whenever I asked someone how they were doing, the most common response was, “I’m tired, but I love it!” With classes, homework, evening activities, and shopping, everyone was extremely busy. But imagine adding a research project to the list of requirements!

UAEM teachers of English were required to do a mini-research project to investigate this question: Does a two-

week intensive program lead to short term improvements in L2 output? They examined the speaking and writing progress of selected beginning and intermediate students to see if gains were made during their stay at UNT.

I would like to take this moment to thank the UAEM English teachers for their dedication to professional development this summer. You are an asset to the field of English Language Teaching!

ABOUT THE PROGRAMThe LTC Summer Institute is part of a liaison between University of North

Texas and Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México in Toluca, Mexico. This multi-level ESL program provides summer learning opportunities through language and culture immersion. This program design promotes fluency through social interaction and engagement with the community of UNT, Denton, and DFW.


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ProfessorsAdriel Boals (Psychology), Yawo Agbessi Bessa (Sociology), Mark Steven Demarest (Biology), Jonathon Doran (Computer Science), Shailesh Kulkarni (Business), Theresa Flowers (English), Charles Foster (Tourism), Seifollah Nasrazadani (Engineering)

DepartmentsCLEAR, Discovery Park, Media Library, UNT Library, UNT-International & IELI, RTVF, Sky Theater

PeopleJason Armour, Amber Bryant, Gayla Byerly, Sita Chelliah, Luis Delmar, Christine Ellis , Earl Gibbons, Dickie Hargrave, Shannon Jauregi, Angela Landt, Kristopher Mahdak, Anessa Mullins, Yussel Perez, Jennifer K. Sheehan, Ph.D., Harold Strong

Teaching Assistants & VolunteersJohn Guest, Lindy Heidler, Jiayung Hu, Michelle Johnson, Sarah Lehman, Julie Wright, Josh Yamane, & Vincent Young

Volunteer TributeVincent Young - The Super Volunteer!Vincent, a Filipino-American and recent UNT graduate of English, dedicated countless volunteer hours to our program this year. He helped organize numerous activities for students, getting to know them, helping them practice English, and showing them a great time. In the span of two weeks, he learned the names of all 52 students and claims he has made friends for life.

2011 StaffProgram Coordinators Katie Crowder & Kristan Taylor

Advanced/Teacher Training Class Instructor Kristan Taylor

Intermediate Class & Performing Arts Track Instructor Elizabeth Schachlin

Beginner Class & Fine Arts Track InstructorChip Cullum

UNT Scholar Track InstructorLisa Jeon

Professional Development Track Instructor Kelly McGill

Administrative CoordinatorSarah Adams

Entertainment CoordinatorsChristal Brewster, Corey Havarda, Terrell Quillin, Caroline Stasa

Contact InformationUNT Department of Linguistics and Technical Communication

T 940-565-4458 F 940-369-8976

UNT-UAEM Liaison Office

T 940.565.2497

[email protected]@unt.edu

THANKS!

Visit UNT LTC Summer Institute on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or get connected through our blog (LTCenglish.blogspot.com).

Kristan Taylor and Katie Crowder, Program Coordinators


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MORNING CLASSES AND AFTERNOON TRACKS

By Lisa JeonAs our students can attest, the LTC Summer Institute is a truly

unique English language program! Unlike many traditional ESL programs that focus on rote methods, this program is designed to teach language through cultural immersion and experiential learning.

As part of the 2011 summer program, students engaged in six hours of English study daily. A portion of the six hours of study included hands-on themed workshops. Classes were small and range in size from 14 to 18 students. Teaching was geared for the student’s level of learning.

For morning classes, students were placed into beginner, intermediate, and advanced/teacher training levels. Language studies incorporated cultural, linguistic, and social immersion. Students were also able to choose one creative and one academic afternoon track, each adapted for the student’s level of learning.

LANGUAGE, CULTURE IMMERSION

ACADEMIC TRACKS

UNT Scholar

Provides an authentic UNT student experience including campus excursions to Discovery Park, Sky Theater, UNT Library, UNT-International/IELI, and more.

Professional Development Track

Helps students develop professional skills such as resume writing,

interviewing, creation of an online portfolio, job searching, and more.

CREATIVE TRACKS

Fine Arts Track

Includes various activities such as mural making, origami workshops, gallery tours, poetry/literature, and more.

Performing Arts Track

Includes pronunciation games, skits, plays, performances, play writing, reviews, and more.

Advanced/Teacher Training Class

Intermediate Class

Beginner Class

Performing Arts Track Flash Mob

UNT Scholar Track at Discovery Park


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Why did you decide to participate in this program? I think it’s a great opportunity because of the link between UAEM and UNT. We can collaborate on some great activities like research and study abroad programs.

What is the most important thing you've learned?For UAEM students, it’s possible to experience a culture and adventure that can make them grow as a person. It’s a life experience.

Has your English improved as a result of this program? Yeah, because in Mexico I can’t practice at all. I haven’t practiced in a long time. And I feel more confident and put more effort here. That’s important.

Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language? Don’t be afraid. Take every opportunity to speak and be confident.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Miguel Cabellero

Marketing TeacherEnglish Level: Beginner

What are your impressions of the United States? Order! It is a clean country and people are responsible with the nation. They want to be clean and respect the rules most of the time. You can also find different cultures like Asian, Mexican, American, a good exchange of ideas, and different styles of life.

What is the most important thing you've learned through this program? I learned that it doesn’t matter if you are different. It doesn’t matter if you speak another language or if you have a different religion. The important thing is that you want to study and you want to learn. If you believe that you can, nothing else matters.

Has your English improved as a result of this program? Yes, I think I have problems listening. I can talk and whatever. In school, when they ask you to match column A with B, that’s easy. But when you come here, people talk faster and with different accents. So I improved by listening to real English here.

Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language?To get involved. You can use the Internet to write with a friend, listen to music in English, and just get involved with the language with your daily activities.

Mariana Barbosa

Economics MajorEnglish Level: Intermediate

Why did you decide to participate in this program? I’ve been here four times. What I like about this program is that it uses new approaches to learning language. In Mexico, we try to use new theories, but we come back to traditional ones. I want to learn these tools and apply them to what we do at home. I want to take all this information back with me and share it.

What is your favorite thing about American culture? You can talk about any culture and any culture is very welcome. You can have stereotypes about a culture, but many people take the chance of proving that it is not always the same. Now it’s cool to have this time to share and get along. We realize here that we are more alike than different.

Least favorite? Lots of waste. For example, water and people buy huge things. Everything is big. Sometimes I see people who seem dislocated and there is a sense missing of being together. Lots of people walk by themselves and are independent.

What is the most important thing you've learned through this program? Organization - itinerary, maps, and everything. This is a very targeted way of carrying out things. In a way, I’m a bit like that. When I come here, I like that because you don’t have to worry about what comes next.

Maria del Rosario “Charo” Martinez Uribe

Coordinator at the UAEM Language CenterEnglish Level: Advanced/Teacher Training


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What are your impressions of the United States?People have been really really friendly and polite. I thought all Americans were the same, that they were rude. I changed my mind a lot. I really like being here.

Has your English improved as a result of this program?Mostly it’s about understanding the American English accent. I have improved my listening comprehension a lot.

What is the most important thing you've learned through this program?How people can change when they find themselves in a different place and situation and adapt, strengthen ties with each other and the culture, and keep their identity even though they are in a foreign country. We appreciate home but we learn from other cultures and we take the good things from the other culture.

What wi& you miss the most about the 2011 LTC Summer Institute?The people, the teachers, not the weather, mostly the people.

Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language? I would strongly advise them to travel, to go where the language is spoken, to use it, because they have to live the language. When they live it they enjoy and it becomes easy for them to speak.

What is the bi'est cultural difference between Mexico and the U.S.?Although we have different points of view and different traditions, we are all the same—different languages but we all have the same dreams and same goals. We’re more the same than different.

Alejandra “Ale” Bonilla

Academic Coordinator for the UAEM Liaison Office

English Level: Advanced/Teacher Training

Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language? I would say speak English in your own country for a few months then by the time you go there you’ll have an idea what it’s like.

What is your main interest for a career? Right now, teaching English. Because I like learning new things and then I like explaining those things to other people who are interested. I try to find the best way to help them understand.

Why did you decide to participate in this program?I knew it was going to be helpful for my learning. I have a wider panorama of what English is now.

What wi& you miss the most about the 2011 LTC Summer Institute?The teachers and my friends.

Mark Cruz

Teacher-in-TrainingEnglish Level: Advanced/Teacher Training

MY UNT EXPERIENCE

By Beatriz Ramírez ColínIt all started when we had a talk about the University

of North Texas at a conference in Mexico. We discussed the cost of the course, how many weeks it lasted, the activities that take place, the requirements to be met. The benefits that this program had made it very accessible and practical compared with others.

When I got to UNT, my surprise was that the school was way bigger than I had imagined and we had to walk at least ten minutes to go to any building, whether to take classes to go to eat, to go to bed, and even to go buy a

drink! Most of us spent our time each taking class, eating, and walking.

I really liked my English teacher, Chip, because he was very pleasant, patient, and understanding. With respect to tracks, I was pretty happy that we had a different one each week. Both of mine were very different it was great fun and interesting. I really did not expect the classes and activities to fill so much of the day, but I

liked this a lot because all day it maximizes and you do not even time to sit down.


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THE BEST MOMENT AT UNT

By Leonor Delgadillo So far the best moment for me, in this short time that

I'd been here in UNT, was when we visited the stadium to celebrate the Fourth of July. I'd never seen that many people use the same space without any kind of security staff for so long.

When I got in to the stadium I could see many people in there, entire families sharing games. Could you imagine using a stadium for taking a picnic? Children, teenagers, adults, and elders sharing the sports coliseum to remember in a good way a very important date. In addition, as we know throughout the world, it is not so easy for people among different ideologies and races to be together. Therefore, I saw hope become truth.

In my country, we do the same thing but in a different way. We can also stay together in just one place, like the

center of town, but not without policemen. For me that was a big difference between our independence day celebration. Of course, in both countries this date is for being with our best friends and family, enjoying a special dinner, and spending the time with happiness.

By Francisco Javier Gallardo Noyolla

When I applied for the LTC summer program I never thought It would include a visit to JFK Museum in Dallas, TX. Although it's name is not "The JFK Museum" but The Sixth Floor museum. They named the museum after the place they thought John Fitzgerald Kennedy was shot.

What do I think about this sad event in U.S. history? Murders are always sad, whether we are talking about the president of a country or the men living in the suburbs. Murders are astonishing, events in which a person who does not want to die is forced to. Even decades later, no one can say for sure why President Kennedy died. Was it a conspiracy? Was it a lone murderer? Was it planned?

When we arrived in the Sixth Floor Museum, Terrell showed us

around the place where Kennedy was shot and died afterwards in Dealy Plaza. The museum was totally packed. I'd say a lot of people are

interested in President Kennedy's murder. During my visit I learned a lot of things about U.S. history when JFK was killed: the fight for black people's human rights, the space race, the international interference of the USA into international issues, etc.

In Mexico, we have had very similar cases in which former candidates or presidents have been killed, for example, President Alvaro

Obregon and former PRI candidate to Mexican Presidency, Luis Doanldo Colosio Murrieta. The latter supposedly died as a result of the action of a lone assassin named Jose Toral and Mario Aburto. Conspiracy???In all three cases, I never believed the story of an isolated murderer killing somebody famous or powerful. It was certainly a conspiracy but, who was involved? That’s the big question. Most of the time the murders are planned

from the inside, not the outside. Perhaps they occurred because some interests are or will be in danger or because "the man" is changing some paradigms that are becoming dangerous for "the rest of the group". It will always be a mystery, sadly.

JFK “SIXTH FLOOR MUSEUM”

FEATURE STORIES


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NIGHT OF FIRE!By Estefani Gurrola We went to the American Ai r l ines Center to see the Rihanna concert. That was a good experience because we have never been in that center and it was wonderful. The place is great and was full.The concert started at 10:00 pm; everything was perfect when Rihanna began the show with her

hit songs. The fireworks started and suddenly something strange happened: the roof was on fire! We had been in the concert for an hour, but after the accident the concert was cancelled.

The firemen arrived and we took pictures with them. It was really was funny. Although the concert didn´t finish officially with the best song, it was still a great moment with classmates who are now my good friends.

Finally, since we couldn’t go back there, we had a great time at a nice restaurant in downtown. We got back to Denton at 11:00 p.m.

By Jose Emmanuel Perez Mondragon

On Friday, July 8, my friends and I went to see Rihanna after school. When the concert started, everyone was happy, cr ying, c lapping, and jumping in their chair. It was a party in the American Airlines stadium! Rihanna sang and sang.

The concert had fireworks. Some of them burnt the stage and we all had to leave for the emergency exits. Firemen and ambulance arrived and we all left the stadium after the firefighters put out the fire. Some angry people asked for refunds or other concert tickets.

We left Dallas and got lost in the highway for 3 hours trying to find UNT. Fortunately, Miguel was a good driver and we found it eventually. It was an excellent road trip with Emmanuel Ricardo, Mimi, and Fany as companions. It was a great adventure because we got to know the roads of Dallas and Denton.

IMPRESSIONS OF DALLASBy Maria de los Angles Montes Tapia

Last weekend was amazing for me. Actually, I had never had an experience like this before. I went to the City of Dallas. This is my first time in the United States, and it’s been exactly as I thought. Some impressive activities were developed there by my group.

First of all, we visited the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza. There I was able to examine the life, death, and legacy of President John F. Kennedy. I also had the opportunity to take some photographs where he was shot in 1963.

Later, I went to the Dallas World Aquarium. Facing those marine creatures just trough a g lass was breathtaking. Feeling the sense of proximity of them every time these creatures crossed above the glassed-in walls and ceiling made me understand why God didn’t provide them with a thinking brain.

After that, I intended to go to Reunion Tower (“La Bola” in Spanish). It is a restaurant which is at the top of a tower. The main attraction is that this restaurant has the shape of a sphere and inside there’s an observatory where

you can see the entire city. Unfortunately, it was not possible to go there.

Finally, my friends and I had a great time at a nice restaurant in downtown. We got back to Denton at 11:00 p.m.


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A FEW GOOD PHOTOS...

Students pose with members of Brave Combo at Banter. Students hard at work in the computer lab.

“Let’s do the wave!” Violeta takes notes during the UNT-International tour.

Francisco tries out the equipment at Discovery Park. Group photo fun!


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“1, 2, 3... ‘Queso!’” UNT Scholars learn about electron and ion microscopy.

Gayla gives students a tour of UNT Library. Comic created by the Performing Arts Track students.

Isai learns how to find academic articles at a research workshop. Students visit the Intensive English Language Institute.

Visit UNT LTC Summer Institute on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or get connected through our blog (LTCenglish.blogspot.com).


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UNT-INTERNATIONAL & INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

By Francisco Gallardo, Nohemi Garcia, Iracema Mendez, & Alfredo Ortiz

We arrived in the UNT-International Building last Tuesday afternoon and we had a meeting in the conference room. Peter, our host, a funny man, introduced himself and told us all about UNT-International. According to Peter, we can see education at UNT-International just like women see sales, as “a unique opportunity to enrich our lives at a reasonable price.”

At IELI, there are currently over 36 500 students at the University of North Texas, over 2,600 of those are international students from 121 countries around the globe. International students at UNT enjoy a rich university experience and intensive academy career as a member of the diverse student body.

There, computer labs provide students access to high quality, technologically-advanced environments in order to achieve academic learning.

We all have opportunities for self-improvement. It is only a matter of making a decision: the decision of wanting to take a step forward.

As we know, in the globalized world we live in, we must be well prepared for a society that demands more and much more qualified professionals each day. Therefore, the improvement on English Language is no longer just an option but rather a need.

The UNT IELI program offers us the opportunity to turn the English into our second language in only one year, and changes our lives in a way that we not even imagine.

By Victor Hugo Perez, Estefani Zuleica Gurrola, Maria Fernanda Enriquez, Rosela Ortega, & Miguel Octavio Caballero

Last Monday, we went to the UNT-International building, where we met a Mexican girl who had been studying English at UNT.

Yussel was born in Tamaulipeca, Mexico. She had been looking for a school where she could learn English and practice at the same time. Because of destiny and good luck, she selected UNT.

She told us that studying at UNT was a hard experience because she

didn’t speak a word of English at first, but she recognize the opportunity, and made a huge effort to improve her English.

She has succeeded because she studied in the IELI which is one of the largest, accredited, intensive English programs in the U.S.

Today, after four years studying at UNT, she became a manager in a famous hotel in Fort Worth.

We learned many things in this tour. We are very happy because we are inspired by Yussel to learn so much English for communication.

A SUCCESS MEXICAN EXPERIENCE

UNT SCHOLAR STORIES

According to Yussel, “Effort + Effort =

Something.”

Yussel Perez


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ONE DAY, ONE VISIT, ONE PARK, MANY DISCOVERIES!By Mariana Barbosa López, Isaí Moisés Muñoz Gonzalez, Violeta Moreno García, & Jesús Bermeo Méndez

Discovery Park is a center of research for UNT. It is the place where you can perform or develop different studies for all who are interested in engineering subjects.

In our visit, made on Friday, July 8, 2011, we met Kristopher Mahdak, a boy who very kindly gave us a tour in mechanical engineering and showed us some tools used in researches of material properties, such as strength, flexibility, etc.

We saw how they work with a microscope that can capture images of atoms in two dimensions and in the last lab we found students working with materials in which the

atom can be observed but from its three dimensions, they can see even the volume of an atom of a certain material in order to verify their properties applied in all areas (for example how strong). Properties can be improved using this or that material on a plane to make it lighter, faster, and stronger, but also safer.

Discovery Park’s mission is to expand economic development opportunities for North Texas and UNT through strategic collaborations and technology commercialization. It represents a major step forward in advancing the University’s 10 year Strategic Plan for Research and its mission to become a significant national research institution. It will become a vibrant research community, defined by leading edge research.

Week 1 UNT Scholars at Discovery Park.

DISCOVERY PARK

By: Alejandra Del Valle, Alejandra Ceballos, Miguel Pérez, & Emmanuel Pérez

Discovery Park is not a park with roller-coasters. It is the engineering school of the University of North Texas. Here the students have the opportunity to develop projects and doing researches in the labs where they have the required equipment to do it. In this building we can find different degree like Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering Mechanical engineering and more. At the Department of Materials Science & Engineering, the area that we visited, students can make orthopedic implants, separate

atoms from materials like iron, bronze and more.

In our visit we met Luis Delmar, who was our guide. He showed and explained a little part of labs. Some of the machines which are in these labs are supported by UNT, private institutions, and even the army. Luis talked to us in “Spanglish”. He lived in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Although Discovery Park is far, it is easy to get there. If you are student, you can take a bus on the UNT campus and 15 minutes later you will arrive there. You can go and learn the things that the students and the teachers develop.

Visit UNT LTC Summer Institute on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or get connected through our blogs (LTCenglish.blogspot.com).


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A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEMBy Isabel Esmeralda Aranda, Valverde Litzuly Vergara Obispo, Ángeles González Misael, & Neftali Zuriel Valencia Guadarrama

The Sky Theater is located in the Environmental Science Building at 1704 W. Mulberry Street on the University of North Texas, Denton campus.

Christian is the guide who gave us an explanation. He showed us a video that explain us the composition of the universe. It is composed for 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter,

Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) and remembers Pluto.

It is important to learn about our universe and specifically our Milky Way galaxy to appreciate the wonderful of nature and the space. Everybody can enjoy an experience beautiful celestial wonders as we’re transported to the edges of the Universe and other places we have never been visited in the earth.

We spend some time with our classmates, and coming to a show and experiencing our full-color, HD projection system.

A closer look Saturn’s rings at Sky Theater.

SKY THEATER AT HAND FOR UNT-UAEM PROGRAM

By Leonor Delgadillo, Rosario “Charo” Martinez Uribe, Elizabeth Pineda Landeros, & Edgar Vega Guttierez

Last July 6th was a great day for the advanced Mexican English practitioners of the English language, since more than 20 students out of 51 who came from Mexico, had the chance to share the magnificent experience of visiting the Sky theater presentation at UNT.

It can be said that for some students interested in knowing more about stars, planets, satellites, galaxies, north lights and such, it was a dynamic and entertaining grasp of new pieces of information. Besides this, all the students were able to reflect on the Universe’s starting point, the way it happened and the future to come.

The Sky Theater has 100 seats and it is 40 feet high. We could see the sky as if it were at hand, thanks to the Digistar III projection system with digital and scientific precision. The presentation shown was called “The Wonders of the Universe”. This helped us to know about

constellations which are a reference for those who study the space but also for those who might get lost somewhere.

Sky Theater is a great time for learning about our solar system, which in a way behaves the same way we humans do---once any asteroid dies or is given birth, the rest of the system is modified.

According to what we heard in there, the Universe started by a huge explosion of radioactive elements, before this event, time was not the way we know it now, with different devices and sophisticated gadgets, we can know with certain precision that big clouds and gases expanded through the space and formed galaxies or mega-cities of stars. Gases were so hot that even now we can know about their existence. This way, forces of gravity surrounding the space have led some other galaxies to interact. Carbon, iron, alcohol and water are together at the very core parts of stars. Karina for example, a big star, is

4,000,000 times brighter than the sun. The massive nuclear explosion of a star announces its death forming after that a gorgeous supernova.

It is assumed that gas formed after explosions and nebulae were the bearers of life on the Earth. The vastness of the cosmos reveals the magnificence of the Universe.

Sky Theater is a great time for learning about our solar system, which in a way behaves the same way we humans do---once any asteroid dies or is given birth, the rest of the system is modified.


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“I’m glad to be here because when I arrived at UNT I didn’t imagine that this university was going to be the best experience I’ve ever had in my life. All the time I speak in English I learn more about native speakers than I do in Mexico.”

- Cesar Rodriguez

“The JKF museum, and the UNT campus. I also like meeting people. The people here are very friendly!”

- Isabel Aranda

“I had a dream when I was a child. My dream was to know a university in another country. The experience is to know other people, talk with them. I get to practice English and I think my English is better than when I arrived here. This is my dream come true.”

- Elizabeth Landeros

“I know amazing people on the team, the teachers, coordinators, volunteers. They are all amazing, funny, gentle, warm and professional.”

- Leonore Delgadillo

“When we were in the stadium for the Fourth of July, we saw all the people coming in. It was interesting seeing how different they were.”

- Violeta Moreno Garcia

“I have been in UNT for 11 days and I have enjoyed it. The best day in my trip was visiting Dallas. In my opinion this city is a beautiful place I also could see there are different kind of people.”

- Martha Blas Pascual

Q&A

“Bogo, buy one get one free. We thought it was a brand but we learned it meant buy one get one free.”

- Cesar Rodriguez

“That’s the point.”- Elizabeth Landeros

“Time is Money. I learned this the first time I was here. It reflects the difference in the cultures.”

- Maria de los Angeles Tapia

“Take it easy, but not too easy! I like this phrase because it’s true!”

- Kenya Villegas

“How are you? Because I think that when you ask this question, you show that you are interested in other people and their feelings.”

- Victor Perez

“Traffic education. The behavior of drivers in traffic is very different. Lots of people are more polite than in Mexico. Also, people eat a lot of junk food here. People in Mexico eat junk food but here they eat a lot more.”

- Maria de los Angeles Tapia

“In Elizabeth’s class, we talked to a Pakistan woman. We had the opportunity to learn in her own words what living there was like. We tend to stereotype but Memona tells us, ‘Please, you see a Pakistani guy; he is not a terrorist. We share the same values-peace, love, harmony, and family.’”

- Leonore Delgadillo

“Americans are more individualistic; Mexicans are more family-oriented.”

- Kenya Villegas

What has been your favorite experience at UNT?

What is your favorite English word or phrase?

What Did You Learn About Americans That Was Different From What You Thought Before You Came?


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I STOLE A BOOK OF POETRYBy: Francisco Javier Gallardo Noyola

I stole a book of poetrywhen I was twelve.I stole a balland perhaps a photograph.I admit it.I was innocent and sweet.I do not remember how many timesmy innocence got my hands dirty.

I stole a book.It was a small book,a pocket one,a very very old one,I hid it under my clothes.It was a small book,but weighed as much as an entire planet.And its old pages;its old pages became filled with my life.

Long afternoons of childhood.Long evenings full of poetry.Long afternoons of childhood.In which I dreamed and read.Long afternoons of childhood.Long evenings full of poetry.

Poetry was "my" book,my opened eyes,my mom coming home late(who was a gift of wonder),My dreams of cinema,my old friends,my verses just born.My lacks were not strong enoughto steal an ounce of joy.

I stole a book of poetry.I stole the moon, hid it under my soft pillow.

She gave me the clearnessand with it enlightens night.

I stole a book of poetry,but oh! It stole my life.

I, WE, PEOPLEBy Mark Cruz

I am a strange jack of all tradesI dance with the universeI do thisI do thatI want to createI am a strange jack of all trades

We are wise treesWe dance in a forestWe eat the worldWe live the worldWe want to be the worldWe are wise trees

People are ancient rocksPeople are in the soilPeople change peoplePeople change soulsPeople want to change humanityPeople are ancient rocks

VALENTINEBy Violeta Moreno and Eduardo Zamora(Inspired by Carol Ann Duffy)

Not a red rose or a satin heart.I give you a gift.It is a heart wrapped in love.It promises my loyaltyLike the careful mother of her baby.Here.It will provide you with all my protectionLike a government with his townIt will make your heart feel happyA heart full of roses and passion.I am trying to be truthful.Not a liar or a thief.I give you a promise.Its eternal flame will stay on your mindForever and everAs we are,For as long as we are.Take it.

CREATIVE CORNERWHAT DO

YOU THINK ABOUT

DALLAS?

Name: Jesús Enrique De Hoyos Martínez

Last Saturday, I went to Dallas, Texas in the DART train. My wife and I got a Hertz rental car. I went to Cowboys Stadium and JFK 6th Floor Museum. This place very important for tourists. The city of Dallas is dangerous. In the down town there are many homeless people. People in American cities don´t walk.

Name: Blanca del Valle

The Dallas Aquarium was really fun because there was a great variety of aquatic animals and birds. Also, they had a tiger and a crocodile. It was a very nice experience!

I’LL NEVER FORGET ALL THESE MOMENTSBy Fernanda EnriquezTo visit the USA had been a dream since was a child,

and luckily I had the opportunity to come here to learn English. All the activities have been very important, like the class, the conversation groups, the nightlife in the

pubs, but I have enjoyed the last weekend when we went to Dallas.

I have never traveled by train it was so funny because first I saw a baby. He was in the front seat and he was playing with his camera, and he looked me, and he said "Cheers!". It was so funny.


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MY AMAZING SUMMERBy Zuly Vergara Obispo

This summer Zuly, Isa and Julieta, with other people from Mexico, decided to travel to UNT.

Since the first moment we felt very excited and happy. In our first week we could see that this stay would be really great.

One of the memorable moments was the celebration of the July 4th; we learned that this is a very important day for the American people. We went to the ‘Mean Green stadium’ next to Traditional Hall.The stadium is new and is so big! It is amazing and really cool.

In the beginning of the celebration, it was boring, because we don’t like country music and don’t know about these particular singers. In spite of that, it was still very fun because we could meet more people and now, they are

our good friends.We spent time with them, spoke about our lives, took photos, drank, and ate.

We had to wait about three hours for the fireworks, but before these, we listened music and had a good time with the bands and ‘Elvis Presley’. At 9.00 p.m., the fireworks started and it was so incredible!

By Alejandra Patricia Ceballos Mejía & Neftali Zuriel Valencia Guadarrama

When you are studying, you want to do and learn many things, so when there is an opportunity to do something different you should take the chance to do it. In our case, we are students of tourism and need to improve and practice our English, so in this UNT summer course, we found this opportunity.

It was a long trip but when we arrived at the University of North Texas we were nervous and excited because we

were going to have a great experience. Our first week, we had the

opportunity to meet our classmates and get to know the different buildings that the university has. We also had the chance to see and celebrate July

4th, which is an important date in U.S. We learned more about its history and culture.

We have been enjoying our stay at UNT because is a good place to learn new skills through different activities such as conversation groups, a book club, sports at the UNT Rec Center, and live music at the square.

Another thing that we really enjoyed was taking a class about tourism with American students, because we could compare the differences between Mexican and American education.

We hope than more students can have the opportunity to come and enjoy the same experience and practice their English language because nowadays English is indispensable to develop our professional lives.

SUMMER COURSE AT UNT: A GREAT EXPERIENCE!

EXPERIENCE STORIES


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GRAPEVINE MILLS MALLBy Griselda Ruiz Mondragon

The excursions were all wonderful since I like to know new places and people, but the most interest thing was the Grapevine Mills Mall. We went to this place by bus which was nice because most times we walked and took the train.

In this mall there were many brand clothing stores, sometimes cheap and sometimes expensive. I bought some clothes for my mom and father. This mall is very huge and I think we needed more time to be there.

I had never been in a place like this. In Mexico City, there are some malls like this, but have very different stores. At Grapevine Mills Mall, I looked at a lot of American people and listened to how they spoke English. I tried to learn the accent and their culture. I learned how to ask for something and how much it costs in English. Sometimes I was scared because I didn't understand well when people talked to me and I had my face like "What?!" sometimes. I also answered "Yes" or "No" most times, but I tried to communicate.

Finally, I liked the food that I ate with my friends at a beautiful restaurant named Chili's. The food was delicious. It was the first food that I liked that wasn't expensive.

Thank you, 2011 UNT LTC Summer Institute participants!

DO YOU HAVE GREAT PHOTOS? SEND THEM TO US!

Documents

LTC Summer Institute 2011 Newsletter