EMU: Serving as a Cross Cultural Opportunity

Photo by Ellie Spaulding

The Burnt House residents goof off in the downstairs living room. From left: Karl Yoder, Peris Ruiru, Jordan Tew, Ed Lunney, Emily Hatch, a friend holding Chi-chi, Rita McCrae and Kevin Linn.

The Intensive English Program here at EMU brings students from across the globe to converge here on our small campus. These students work to improve their English while studying in their own decided field.

Mahatma Gandhi once said, "I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible." Here at EMU, the cross-cultural programs encourage EMU students to branch out and explore cultures around the world. However, a lot of students here on campus know very little about the program that brings students from around the world here to our own campus.

The Intensive English Program is directed by Michael Medley, and enrolls between 25 and 40 students every year from countries everywhere. Pil Choi recently wrote about his initial discovery of the IEP program from his home in Korea, "The reason why I am continuing to study English is that I want to work with international people...I will need to be able to communicate with them - probably in English."

Colleges and high schools around the world are in touch with EMU regarding potential students to send here for the Intensive English Program. These students are here to acquire and improve the necessary English skills to excel in their field of study and future career. Students are required to have some evidence of basic English knowledge.

Upon their arrival at EMU, IEP students are given placement tests which will determine which of the semester-long Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced courses in English they will enter. The courses focus on improving grammar, reading, writing skills, critical thinking, and discussion abilities.

Besides classes and studies, students are encouraged to participate in the IEP field trips, potlucks, and meet with a conversation partner regularly.

One of the recent field trips involved learning about Harrisonburg's own cultural identity. Tuesday, March 22, IEP students went out into Harrisonburg for an Immigrant Learning Tour. They were told about the problems that immigrants face coming into this country, visited the Dayton Learning Center, and at a Salvadorian restaurant.

This year, 30 students from 15 different countries consider EMU their home and college. Japan, Korea, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Iran, and Mexico are a few of the countries currently represented. The students are not all here just to attend EMU. Many of these students are immigrants that are looking to improve their English skills while at school.

Another part of IEP is the LILAC program. LILAC stands for Lively Intercultural Learning Across the Curriculum. This program puts IEP students into other classes to learn more about cultures in the world and here in the United States. This semester, students are participating in "The Family in Social Context" class.

The Foreign Film Series at EMU is a part of the IEP's efforts to promote cultural diversity on campus. Look for more information on the series in part two of the IEP article series in next week's 'Burg section.