UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 10, Page 2
November 5, 1992
Student volunteers assist foreign visitors in English

     Jennifer West knows how it feels to be in a foreign country and
barely know the language. Last January, the senior international
relations major went to Costa Rica and had difficulty keeping up with
Spanish. This year, she is a language partner volunteer at the English
Language Institute (ELI) at the University.
     Now in its 15th year, the English Language Institute is part of
the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs. According to
Scott Stevens, ELI director, its main goal is to give English language
support while also providing an adviser to take care of student
paperwork, such as admissions credentials.
     Student Gloria Castro is Jennifer West's language partner. The
Colombian plans to return home after she learns English in the United
States. Enrolled in ELI's Intensive English Program, she attends 30
hours of classes a week, including conversation, reading and writing
comprehension, pronunciation, grammar, private tutoring, reading and
listening laboratory and computer use.
     Volunteers are always needed. Most give their time by being a
host family, which includes room and board in the home and introducing
foreign students to what an American household is like. Others serve
as tutors or teachers, which requires a degree in English as a second
language. Language partners, like West, spend a few hours a week with
a student, speaking English together.
     West and Castro meet once a week. They mostly speak in English,
but when a problem arrives with communication, they use Spanish. "The
ELI is an excellent way for foreign students to become familiar with
our country and our language." West said. Castro said she likes having
a partner because it is a way to use and reinforce what she learns in
class.
     For more information about volunteering, call Jamie Campbell at
831-2674.
                                        -Alisha Palmer