Summer 2017 Scholarship Winner Announced: Julie Ju from Korea

Written by Rachel O’Dell

Congratulations to Julie Ju from Seoul, Korea — winner of the Summer 2017 Marion Edith Dubin Memorial Scholarship in English. Julie wrote the winning essay on the topic How has studying English affected you, and how will it impact your future plans?

The Summer ’17 EAP Program marks Julie’s third session of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Program at Queen’s School of English (QSoE). She is on leave from Ajou University in Korea after completing her third year there.

Julie is the only student currently at QSoE from her university. She learned of QSoE from a friend who attended some time ago, and recommended the experience. According to Julie, in Korea children are taught to listen and read in English, but writing and speaking are not taught. As an English major, Julie wanted to come to QSoE to focus on improving her English speaking skills. I’d say she has achieved her goal; her English during our interview was excellent!

Although Julie has not traveled much and has plans to live and work in her home city of Seoul after her studies are complete, experiencing a new place was another motivating factor for her coming to QSoE. She finds the people in Kingston to be very friendly, and admires the clean environment of the city. Compared to the Korean cuisine she’s known her whole life, Canadian food is very different for Julie, but she likes it! She is grateful to her Homestay hosts for their tremendous support in her speedy adjustment to Canadian culture.

Julie has taken advantage of Kingston’s central location; she has traveled to Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City so far, and has plans for New York City with friends during break week this summer! I asked her where in our large country she would still like to visit, and she replied that she had heard that Vancouver is beautiful and has lovely weather during summertime.

After the Summer EAP Program at QSoE, Julie will return to Ajou Unviersity to complete her undergraduate degree in English. After graduating, Julie would like to work in Seoul where she can put her excellent English language skills to use.

 

New Student Volunteer Initiative at QSoE

Written by Rachel O’Dell

Queen’s University B.Ed student, Chris Suppa, is leading a new initiative at Queen’s School of English during the Summer 2017 English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Program called the QSoE Community Volunteer Program. About 30 interested QSoE students attended the first meeting which took place on Friday, June 2.

During the meeting, Chris asked the students to explain what “service” meant from their perspectives, and showed a short video to spark some dialogue on why anyone would want to do work for free. Students suggested that service is about helping others who need help, or helping to solve problems for your community. It was decided that service provides opportunities to be kind, and perceiving ourselves as kind people makes us feel good. Other students noted that it’s fun to collaborate, and that service is a great opportunity to practice English and make connections.

Chris discussed plans for the upcoming 4 weeks of the Community Volunteer Program. Each week has a theme: education, environment, and food service. Week 4 is to be determined by the students’ interests; Chris asked the students’ to begin thinking about what is important to them, and how they could take action in Kingston.

Following the program introduction by Chris, the group headed over to the John Orr Tower Community Garden to meet with two Queen’s University outdoor education students. The QSoE students were not familiar with the concept of community gardens, but soon found out as they helped to plant peas, summer squash and radish seeds in the beds at the John Orr Tower Community Garden.

The QSoE Community Volunteer Program is pursuing orchestrating a cultural exchange program at Lord Strathcona Elementary School in Kingston. They are also planning on serving at Martha’s Table, a non- profit charitable organization that provides low cost nutritious meals to those in need, in safe and accepting environment.

Meet Our Instructor: Winter ’17

Amie Pilgrim 

What is your professional/educational background?

I completed my degree in Second Language Teaching and Psychology at the University of Ottawa in 2006. I then spent three years teaching English in Okinawa, Japan. I have since completed my Education degree in Primary, Junior and Intermediate.

What compelled you to become an ESL teacher?

I always knew I wanted to teach English, but it was an instant match when I discovered the program at Ottawa U. I loved the opportunities to meet people from around the world and give them an enriching and mutually beneficial educational experience.

How long have you been teaching at QSoE? Where did you teach prior to QSoE?

I have only been at the QSoE since the summer of 2016 when I started with the QBridge Program! Prior to that I was on maternity leave from the Limestone District School Board.

What do you love about teaching, or QSoE?

As a lifelong learner, I find that my work at the School of English allows me many opportunities to grow not only as a teacher, but as a global citizen. I believe that teaching goes beyond the classroom and that my students take the lessons and the experiences, and they too grow… You never truly know how far your reach is with teaching at the School of English.

What is your favourite aspect of your job?

Meeting and working with so many people from all over the world. Students, staff … other teachers… they all bring so much passion and creativity to QSoE. Every session is a new and exciting adventure, as well as an opportunity to connect with others and bring out the best in myself.

What do you like to do in your free time? 

Nowadays, I spend a lot of time with my family; my son, Coulson, is a year and half now. My husband and I play softball every summer, and I am an avid photographer in my free time! We also try to make a point of getting out in nature a few times each season for a hike.

Which countries have you visited? What do you enjoy about being in other countries (could give a specific example from one country visited)?

I loved my time in Japan. I have so many friends that I have kept in touch with from the three years spent there. I loved experiencing the culture through karate classes, cooking school, travel, food and various Okinawan art experiences including pottery.

I have also travelled to South Korea, UAE, Qatar, France, England, and Switzerland.

Name a country you would love to visit – why do you want to visit this place?

My husband and I are really hoping to make it to Costa Rica some day! We love hiking and being in nature. I am also planning to take my family to Japan in 2020 for the Olympics and to show off where I lived in Okinawa years ago!

What are 1 or 2 things you love/find unique/admire about Canada?

I love the nature and picturesque landscapes. We often go hiking at Frontenac Park, Lemoines Point and various trails around town.

What is one thing you think is really cool about Kingston?

I have a huge soft spot in my heart for the Frontenac County Schools Museum up in Barriefield! I was a summer student there for a couple years, and now I volunteer as their social media and newsletter person. Truly a little gem when it comes to cultural heritage in and around Kingston.

Student Learning Extends Beyond English Language at QSoE

by Rachel O’Dell

Just before winter break, QSoE ended the Fall 2016 EAP session with graduation — the first one I had ever attended. It was very powerful because it gave those of us who are not in the classroom everyday a glimpse of the passion and care that the talented QSoE instructors put into their work, and of the friendships formed within classrooms.

A couple of the QSoE instructors have been teaching here for more than 15 years, but with the level of enthusiasm and appreciation conveyed in their speeches, you would think that they were fresh out of teachers’ college. As an audience member listening to their congratulations to students on their achievements, I felt like joining their classes, or maybe re-visiting teaching as a career; they are clearly deeply rewarded and continuously inspired by teaching English to students from diverse cultures.

The class valedictorian, Bander Alsekhan, summed up the QSoE experience well in his speech:

“I started this program expecting to improve my English, but I ended up with much more. I got to meet so many people from different backgrounds, and that changed me as a person. I thought I would have teachers, but I got mentors. I started out with classmates and ended up with great friends.”

Although it was a large group graduating, it was never tiring to listen as each student’s name was called. It was quite heartwarming to hear classmates cheering and whistling for each student, and to see all of the smiles, hugs, and a few tears (some students were returning to their home countries that day).

Students come to QSoE to learn English as part of their education or career goals; they want to be able to connect with people of the world as global citizens, and English is the language that opens them to a broader world. As Bander mentioned, towards the end of the sessions, many students find themselves reflecting on how the QSoE experience has helped them to grow and learn beyond just becoming more proficient in the English language.

Leaving your known world in your home country to come to a new place, with new people and a new language is definitely exciting, but also a bit scary and uncomfortable for most people. When you land at QSoE in your small class with caring instructors and staff, you will find yourself among others who are in the same situation, and this gives you re-assurance.

During class, at their homestays, and during socio-cultural activities, students learn to use English to listen and to share their perspectives with others (often from other cultures). As they learn about and experience Canadian culture, students become more aware of themselves, and of their own culture. They begin to think more about and how they interact with others. This is the part of the learning that happens at QSoE that surprises many students –- they leave here with honed capacities, not only with the English language, but also with their confidence in connecting with others.

Here are some highlights of the Fall 2016 EAP Program:

Two of the classes focused part of their learning projects on service to the Kingston community. Read our post about how Amie Pilgrim’s Class 140 supported the Kingston Youth Shelter.

Another class –Rasha Farim’s Class 150 — raised $512 for Immigrant Services Kingston and Area’s (ISKA)  Newcomer Youth Program! Christian Medina, from ISKA, delivered an acceptance speech at the QSoE fall 2016 graduation. He also put out a call for volunteers to help participants in the ISKA Multi-cultural Youth Group to learn about Canadian culture and the opportunities available to them in the Kingston area.

Other highlights of the Fall 2016 EAP Program included a delicious multi-cultural potluck dinner, the QSoE Variety Night, and the Class Competition. Thanks for the smiles, everyone!

 

 

QSoE Students Get Involved with Local Charity

An Idea for Giving Grows

Each session, QSoE organizes a candy grams event to raise funds for a local charity. Students, instructors and staff can purchase a candy gram – piece of candy with a personalized note attached — to have delivered to others within QSoE. It is quite popular, and makes everyone feel good. The class which sells the most candy grams gets to designate the charity that will receive the money raised by all classes.

For Amie Pilgrim’s 140 class, one of the homework assignments was for each student to research a charity and present to the class what this charity does and who it serves. Students presented on a variety of charities, some of which raised money in other locations for both people and animals. The class then voted on which charity they would support if they had the opportunity (if they raised the most money via candy grams).

The class collectively decided that, if given the opportunity, they would like to support Kingston Youth Shelter. Several members of the class explained that as a class, they felt that they could best support this charity because they could easily relate to who it serves (youth of similar ages to themselves), and they liked the idea of keeping the money raised within the local community.

When Amie’s class did not get to designate the charity which would receive the candy gram money (Rasha’s class 150 sold the most candy grams), she didn’t want to just suddenly abandon the momentum that had been built up through the presentations and discussions about different charities. She decided to ask the class if they would like to continue their discussions and work on a project involving helping Kingston Youth Shelter. They decided that this was something they would like to do, and began brainstorming how they could help.

Helping Kingston Youth Shelter

The class decided to host a café in early November as one part of their project. They worked together to create posters and advertisements, coordinated supplies, and managed sales as they served hot beverages and treats to student and staff in the Duncan McArthur Hall. They managed to raise $225 to donate to Kingston Youth Shelter!

In addition to the café, the class organized a donation collection area in QSoE for winter clothing items and school supplies for the youth in the shelter. They were surprised to receive so many winter clothing items – numerous bags full – and will continue the collection until November 30, 2016.

Real Projects for Real Learning

In addition to working together to plan and coordinate the café and clothing/supplies donation drive, Amie’s class gained a deeper perspective into the history and operations of Kingston Youth Shelter via a class trip and tour of the shelter, and through a discussion held in their classroom with Executive Director of the Shelter, Jason Beaubiah.

The class prepared a list of questions for discussion with Jason, and learned that the shelter provides several different services to Kingston youth: emergency overnight shelter, transition shelter for up to a year, and family communications support services. It was interesting to learn that Kingston Youth Shelter began with volunteers 16 years ago, with the intention of operating for only 6 months. Also, unique to Kingston is this statistic: Of the youth using Canadian shelters, 50% are males; however, in the Kingston Youth Shelter, 70% of the youth using the shelter are male.

Amie’s class also learned that making real, meaningful projects happen as a group is loads of fun. They said that they’ve gained valuable planning skills through coordinating these events, and have learned a lot about delegating tasks. Students agreed that working as a group brought them awareness regarding their own strengths and areas for improvement, and helped them to appreciate other peoples’ creativity. For some students from developing nations, discovering that even ‘rich countries’ such as Canada have issues around housing was surprising, but also strangely comforting and unifying.